“Yours, lovingly, D.R.
“P.S.—Don’t forget the garden gate.”
As Mr Bloxam read, beads of perspiration gathered on his forehead, and the veins of his temples became like knotted cords. He read the incriminating missive two or three times, and on each perusal the revelation seemed to become more and more atrocious. The face of Stella became hateful to him. “D.R.” Who was “D.R.”? Some fellow on board ship, no doubt. To think that she—to whom he had so narrowly escaped being linked for life—was one who could make guilty appointments with a lover just on the verge of her entrance into the holy estate of matrimony with a minister of the Gospel. Why, the very spot where he was sitting was polluted by their guilty caresses! No wonder the abandoned creature had looked perturbed. He would go and denounce her to Mr Wiseman without further delay. Crushing the letter in his indignant hand, he left the summer-house and hurried up the garden path. Mr Wiseman, however, he could not find. He felt he must speak to someone. Mr Winterton and Matilda had gone to the shore to gather shells. Mrs Wiseman was nowhere to be seen. After pausing in the passage, he entered the drawing-room, and there found Lavinia deeply engrossed in an improving book. He seized a chair hurriedly, drew it close to her, and sat down.
“Miss Simpson,” he said, in a voice broken by excitement, “may I ask you a few questions in the strictest confidence?”
“Certainly, Mr Bloxam,” said Lavinia with alacrity.
“Miss Simpson, did you notice anything remarkable in the behaviour of Miss Mason on the voyage?”
“Well, Mr Bloxam,” said Lavinia, with an appearance of reluctance, “I should not have said anything about it if you had not asked me the question; but I certainly did notice conduct on Miss Mason’s part which I very much disapproved of.”
“Might I ask you to be explicit on this point?”
“Well, what both Miss Whitmore and I objected to in Miss Mason’s conduct was the way in which she used to—I do not even like to use the word—but ‘flirt’—with one of the officers of the ship. In fact, we thought it our duty to remonstrate with her on the subject; but what we said did no good.”
“Might I ask the name of this officer?”