第90章

“Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou。Iamnotverywell；Imustwaitalittlefirst。Givemeachair。“

Bishopriggsobeyedinsilence。HisoneavailableeyerestedonAnne，asheproducedthechair，withanuneasyandsuspiciousattention。“I’mwantingtoknowonething，“hesaid。“Bywhatmeeraiculousmeans，youngmadam，doyehappentoha’fundyerwaytothisinn？“

Annetoldhimhowherinquirieshadbeenmadeandwhattheresulthadbeen，plainlyandfrankly。ThecloudedfaceofBishopriggsbegantoclearagain。

“Hech!hech!“heexclaimed，recoveringallhisnativeimpudence，“Ihaehadoccasiontoremarkalready，toanitherleddythanyersel’，thatit’sseemplymairveloushooaman’saingudedeedsfindhimootinthislowerwarldo’ours。IhaeduneagudedeedbypureTammyPennyquick，andhere’sa’Pairthringingwithereporto’it；andSawmuelBishopriggssaeweelknownthatonystrangerhasonlytoask，andfindhim。Understand，Ibeseechye，thatit’snohando’minethatpetsthisnewfeatherinmycap。

AsagudeCalvinist，mysaul’sclearo’thesmallestfigmento’

beliefinWarks。WhenIlookatmyainceleebrityIjoostask，asthePsawmistaskedbeforeme，’Whydotheheathenrage，andthepeopleimagineavainthing？’Itseemsye’vesomethingtosaytome，“headded，suddenlyrevertingtotheobjectofAnne’svisit。

“Isithumanlypossiblethatyecanha’comea’thewaytoPairthfornaethingbutthat？“

Theexpressionofsuspicionbegantoshowitselfagaininhisface。Concealingasshebestmightthedisgustthatheinspiredinher，Annestatedhererrandinthemostdirectmanner，andinthefewestpossiblewords。

“Ihavecomeheretoaskyouforsomething，“shesaid。

“Ay？ay？Whatmayitbeye’rewantingofme？“

“IwanttheletterIlostatCraigFernie。“

Eventhesolidly-foundedself-possessionofBishopriggshimselfwasshakenbythestartlingdirectnessofthatattackonit。Hisglibtonguewasparalyzedforthemoment。“Idinnakenwhatye’redrivin’at，“hesaid，afteraninterval，withasullenconsciousnessthathehadbeenallbuttrickedintobetrayinghimself。

ThechangeinhismannerconvincedAnnethatshehadfoundinBishopriggsthepersonofwhomshewasinsearch。

“Youhavegotmyletter，“shesaid，sternlyinsistingonthetruth。“Andyouaretryingtoturnittoadisgracefuluse。I

won’tallowyoutomakeamarketofmyprivateaffairs。Youhaveofferedaletterofmineforsaletoastranger。IinsistonyourrestoringittomebeforeIleavethisroom!“

Bishopriggshesitatedagain。HisfirstsuspicionthatAnnehadbeenprivatelyinstructedbyMrs。Glenarm’slawyersreturnedtohismindasasuspicionconfirmed。Hefeltthevastimportanceofmakingacautiousreply。

“I’llno’wasteprecioustime，“hesaid，afteramoment’sconsiderationwithhimself，“inbrushingawa’thefawsebreatho’

scandal，whenitpassesmyway。Itblawstonaepurpose，myyoungleddy，whenitblawsonanhonestmanlikeme。Fieforshameonyeforsayingwhatye’vejoostsaid——tomethatwasafeth