Lady Verner's groom had been galloping on horseback to Verner's Pride. Seeing Mr. Verner's carriage, and himself inside it, he had made a sign to Wigham, who drew up. The man rode up to the window, a note in his hand.
"Miss Verner charged me to lose no time in delivering it to you, sir. She said it was immediate. I shouldn't else have presumed to stop your carriage."
He backed his horse a step or two, waiting for the answer, should there be any. Lionel ran his eyes over the contents of the note.
"Tell Miss Verner I will call upon her shortly, Philip."
And the man, touching his hat, turned his horse round, and galloped back towards Deerham Court.
"What does she want? What is it?" impatiently asked Sibylla.
"My mother wishes to see me," replied Lionel.
"And what else? I know that's not all," reiterated Sibylla, her tone a resentful one. "You have always secrets at Deerham Court against me."
"Never in my life," he answered. "You can read the note, Sibylla."
She caught it up, devouring its few lines rapidly. Lionel believed it must be the doubt, the uncertainty, that was rendering her so irritable; in his heart he felt inclined to make every allowance for her; more, perhaps, than she deserved. There were but a few lines:—