“What! Stella? Surely not!”
“I regret, Louisa, to have to say that there can be no doubt on the subject.”
“Dear me; I am sorry. I have got so fond of the girl. Is there no mistake? Whatever has she done?”
“I regret, Louisa, that no possibility of there being any mistake in the matter exists. It appears, to take events in their proper sequence, that both Miss Simpson and Miss Whitmore noticed signs of most reprehensible frivolity in Miss Mason’s conduct on the voyage, and their sense of duty even compelled them to take the unpleasant step of remonstrating with her for encouraging the attentions of a certain Mr Ramsay, one of the officers of the ship. This morning Mr Bloxam found a letter which had evidently been dropped by Miss Mason, and which, there can be no reasonable doubt, was written to her by this Ramsay. It is a document which, under the circumstances, reveals an amount of depravity absolutely shocking, and we must all, and especially Mr Bloxam, be humbly thankful to Providence that the true character of this whited sepulchre, who is so fair externally, has been revealed in time. I have now to request you to bring the shameless girl here, so that she may be confronted with the proof of her guilt.”
“What a dreadful thing!” said Mrs Wiseman, in a bated tone; “I will fetch her at once. May I have a look at the letter?”
“Here is the letter, Louisa; it is hardly fit for the perusal of any lady; but you are a minister’s wife, and have reached an age at which one may have knowledge of this class of evil without suffering moral damage.”
Mrs Wiseman gave a perceptible sniff at the reference to her age.
Her husband lifted the letter by one of its corners between the reluctant tips of a defilement-fearing finger and thumb, and passed it across the table to her. She received it in the same manner, and held it almost at arm’s length.
“Oh!” she said with a start of surprise, “how could you suspect the poor girl of having anything to do with a thing like this? Why, I picked this letter up in the street this morning when I was returning from my visit to Mr Wardley. I meant to have shown it to you; I must have dropped it out of my pocket in the summer-house.”
“But,” said the careful Mr Winterton, “may not the note after all have been intended for Miss Mason. The initials correspond with those of Mr Ramsay, and we are told that their conduct on the voyage was very suspicious.”