should contain the fullest description of her sister’s personal appearance—­should mention any little peculiarities which might exist in the way of marks on her face or her hands—­and should state (in case she had written lately) what the address was in her last letter, and failing that, what the post-mark was on the envelope.  With this information to help her, Mrs. Lecount would, in the interest of the misguided young lady herself, accept the responsibility of privately identifying her, and would write back immediately to acquaint the elder Miss Vanstone with the result.

The difficulty of sending this letter to the right address gave Mrs. Lecount very little trouble.  Remembering the name of the lawyer who had pleaded the cause of the two sisters in Michael Vanstone’s time, she directed her letter to “Miss Vanstone, care of——­Pendril, Esquire, London.”  This she inclosed in a second envelope, addressed to Mr. Noel Vanstone’s solicitor, with a line inside, requesting that gentleman to send it at once to the office of Mr. Pendril.

“Now,” thought Mrs. Lecount, as she locked the letter up in her desk, preparatory to posting it the next day with her own hand, “now I have got her!”

The next morning the servant from Sea View came, with her master’s compliments, to make inquiries after Miss Bygrave’s health.  Captain Wragge’s bulletin was duly announced—­Miss Bygrave was so ill as to be confined to her room.

On the reception of this intelligence, Noel Vanstone’s anxiety led him to call at North Shingles himself when he went out for his afternoon walk.  Miss Bygrave was no better.  He inquired if he could see Mr. Bygrave.  The worthy captain was prepared to meet this emergency.  He thought a little irritating suspense would do Noel Vanstone no harm, and he had carefully charged the servant, in case of necessity, with her answer:  “Mr. Bygrave begged to be excused; he was not able to see any one.”

On the second day inquiries were made as before, by message in the morning, and by Noel Vanstone himself in the afternoon.  The morning answer (relating to Magdalen) was, “a shade better.”  The afternoon answer (relating to Captain Wragge) was, “Mr. Bygrave has just gone out.”  That evening Noel Vanstone’s temper was very uncertain, and Mrs. Lecount’s patience and tact were sorely tried in the effort to avoid offending him.

On the third morning the report of the suffering young lady was less favorable—­“Miss Bygrave was still very poorly, and not able to leave her bed.”  The servant returning to Sea View with this message, met the postman, and took into the breakfast-room with her two letters addressed to Mrs. Lecount.

The first letter was in a handwriting familiar to the housekeeper.  It was from the medical attendant on her invalid brother at Zurich; and it announced that the patient’s malady had latterly altered in so marked a manner for the better that there was every hope now of preserving his life.