"But that is Mrs. Prichard, papa dear," she gasped. "Don't you know? The story I told you!"
"Exactly!" said the Earl.
"But the letter—the letter! Phoebe and Ruth in the letter cannot be drowned, if they are Granny Marrable and Widow Thrale." A rapid phantasmagoria of possibilities and impossibilities shot through her mind. How could order come of such a chaos?
"Excuse me," said Thothmes, speaking for the first time. "Do I understand—I assume I am admitted to confidence—do I understand that the letter states that these two women were drowned?"
"Crossing from Antwerp. Yes!"
"Then the letter is a falsehood, probably written with a bad motive."
"But by their father—their father! Impossible!"
"How does your ladyship know it was written by their father?"
"It is signed by their father—at Darenth Mill in Essex. Both say Isaac Runciman was their father."
"It is signed with Isaac Runciman's name—so I understand. Is it certain that it was signed by Isaac Runciman? May I now see the letter? And the envelope, please!—oh, the direction is on the back, of course." He held the letter in front of him, but apparently took very little notice of it. "As if," thought Gwen to herself, "he was thinking about his Dynasty."