"We promised to send over to Mr. Johnson to say when you would be ready to see him, sir. Shall I send over now?"
"Yes—no. Tell him I'll be ready in half an hour. And, Privet?"
"Yes, sir."
"I've a rather important letter to write. Will you see that I'm not disturbed till I ring?"
The old man shut the door quietly, and Godfrey Pavely drew irresolutely towards his writing-table, the table where he did so much hard, good, and profitable work each day.
But he did not sit down at once; instead, he took the letter he had been so nearly caught reading out of his pocket, and once more he read it through—
"This is to warn you that there is a great deal of talk going on in Pewsbury and the surrounding neighbourhood about your wife and a certain gentleman who is a near neighbour of yours. It is well not to be jealous, but confidence may be carried too far. Try going home when you are not expected, and you will surely find them together.
"A Well-Wisher to the
"Pavely Family."
The words had been written, or rather printed, in ink, on a very common sheet of notepaper—the kind of notepaper which is sold in penny packets in every village and small sweetstuff shop in the kingdom.