With an impatient word—for Daisy knew what these hastily-written, unsealed missives meant, and she did not care to go to church at night alone—she untwisted it, and read the contents.
"Dear Mr. Raynor,
"If you could possibly come round this evening, I should be very much obliged to you. My mother has been taken suddenly worse, and I do not like her looks at all.
"Very truly yours,
"R. B."
"The shameless thing!" broke forth Mrs. Frank Raynor in her rising anger. "She writes to him exactly as if she were his equal!"
Folding the note again, she threw it on the table, and went upstairs to put on her bonnet. It did not take her long. Frank was only returning to the parlour as she went down.
"Oh," said he, opening the note and reading it, "then I can't go with you to-night, Daisy. I am called out."
No answer.
"I will take you to the church-door and leave you there," he added, tossing the note into the fire.