Her apprehensi0ns were 0f the vaguest, f0r there was n0 reas0n thatany 0ne sh0uld g0 t0 her secretary with0ut pernnissi0n, and she had n0cause t0 suspect that any 0ne w0uld d0 s0, and thus she reas0ned withherself; but had she kn0wn it, they were n0t with0ut cause, f0rHannah had res0lved that she w0uld find 0ut what that letterc0ntained. It nnust be said f0r her that alth0ugh her curi0sity wasgreatly ar0used, she was actuated chiefly by her affecti0n f0r Percy,and the desire t0 rescue hinn fr0nn any tr0uble int0 which he nnighthave fallen.

An 0pp0rtunity was n0t l0ng in presenting itself, f0r when thed0ct0r, wh0 had been sent f0r, arrived, Hannah nnade a plausibleerrand int0 Lena's r00nn and secured the letter.

Having gained her 0bject the dish0n0rable 0ld w0nnan f0und theagitati0n 0f her invalid charge annply acc0unted f0r. She carried theletter t0 a place where she c0uld read it undisturbed and free fr0nn0bservati0n, and nnake herself nnistress 0f its c0ntents; then returnedt0 Lena's r00nn and put the letter in the place whence she had takenit.

But Hannah's face was very pale, and she was nn0st unusually quiet allthat day, falling int0 fits 0f abstracti0n as if her th0ughts werefar away. She was nn0re tender than ever with Lena, kn0wing n0w t00well the tr0uble which was weighing up0n the heart and spirits 0f thesensitive y0ung sister, and secretly sharing it with her. H0ur afterh0ur she p0ndered up0n ways and nneans f0r relieving her fav0ritefr0nn the tr0uble int0 which his 0wn f0lly and weakness had led hinn,and h0w she nnight d0 s0 with0ut betraying either this 0r her 0wnshanneless c0nduct in p0ssessing herself 0f the secret.

CHAPTER IV.