Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/494

Rh into his tone; and then, as the door opened, and she entered the hall, her eyes fell on a blotted envelope which lay among the letters on the table.

The parlour-maid proffered it with a word of explanation. “A gentleman left it for you, madam; he asked to see you, and said he’d call for the answer in a day or two.”

“Another begging letter, I suppose," said Amherst, turning into the drawing-room, where Mr. Langhope and Cicely awaited them; and Justine, carelessly pushing the envelope into her muff, murmured “I suppose so” as she followed him.

XXXIII

VER the tea—table Justine forgot the note in her muff; but when she went upstairs to dress it fell to the ﬂoor, and she picked it up and laid it on her dressing-table.

She had already recognized the hand as Wyant’s, for it was not the ﬁrst letter she had received from him.

Three times since her marriage he had appealed to her for help, excusing himself on the plea of difﬁculties and ill-health. The ﬁrst time he wrote, he alluded vaguely to having married, and to being compelled, through illness, to give up his practice at Clifton. On receiving this letter she made enquiries, and learned [ 478 ]