He answered quietly.
"I' faith, it was there in the desk when I looked again, after Sir Francis spoke to me; I know not whom to accuse."
Susannah pulled off her mask, as if the fret of it was beyond bearing, and gave him a glowing look.
The Earl paled a little under her gaze.
"Can it be possible you do not guess?"
"A servant, of course."
Miss Chressham rose.
"The Countess, of course; she stole the letter, and she wrote that paragraph; it is horrible to even mention it, but it is true and best that you should know it."
He drew his breath sharply between his parted lips.
"By Gad!" he said softly. "So you think so? Well, I thought of it." He laughed, to Susannah's surprise, almost in an amused manner: "But I could not credit that my lady had enough affection or enough dislike to me to be at the trouble——"