The loud applause that followed left him in no doubt as to the favorable effect he had produced.  Coventry, in particular, looked most expressively grateful.

The bridegroom’s health followed, and Coventry returned thanks in a speech so neat and well delivered that Grace felt proud of his performance.

Then the carriage and four came round, and Coventry gave Grace an imploring glance on which she acted at once, being herself anxious to escape from so much publicity.  She made her courtesies, and retired to put on her traveling-dress.

Then Dr. Amboyne cursed his own indecision, but still could not make up his mind, except to tell Raby, and make him the judge what course was best.

The gayety, never very boisterous, began to flag altogether; when suddenly a noise was heard outside, and one or two young people, who darted unceremoniously to the window, were rewarded by the sight of a man and a woman struggling and quarreling at the gate.  The disturbance in question arose thus:  Jael Dence, looking out of Grace’s window, saw the postman coming, and ran to get Grace her letters (if any) before she went.

The postman, knowing her well, gave her the one letter there was.

Lally, returning from the inn, where he had stopped one unlucky minute to drain a glass, saw this, and ran after Jael and caught her just inside the gate.

“That is for me,” said he, rudely.

“Nay, it’s for thy betters, young man; ’tis for Miss Grace Carden.”

“She is Mrs. Coventry now, so give it me.”

“I’ll take her orders first.”

On this Lally grabbed at it and caught Jael’s right hand, which closed directly on the letter like a vise.

“Are these your manners?” said she.  “Give over now.”

“I tell you I will have it!” said he, fiercely, for he had caught sight of the handwriting.

He seized her hand and applied his knuckles to the back of it with all his force.  That hurt her, and she gave a cry, and twisted away from him and drew back; then, putting her left hand to his breast, she gave a great yaw, and then a forward rush with her mighty loins, and a contemporaneous shove with her amazing left arm, that would have pushed down some brick walls, and the weight and strength so suddenly applied sent Lally flying like a feather.  His head struck the stone gate-post, and he measured his length under it.

Jael did not know how completely she had conquered him, and she ran in with a face as red as fire, and took the letter up to Grace, and was telling her, all in a heat, about the insolence of her new husband’s Irish servant, when suddenly she half recognized the handwriting, and stood staring at it, and began to tremble.

“Why, what is the matter?” said Grace.

“Oh, nothing, miss.  I’m foolish.  The writing seems to me like a writing we shall never see again.”  And she stood and trembled still more, for the handwriting struck her more and more.