"
Lady Lydiard opened her lips to speak, and checked herself. Mr. Troy,
having cleared the ground before him, put the fatal question.
"Mr. Moody," he said, "when Miss Isabel was instructed to seal the
letter, did she know that a bank-note was inclosed in it?"
Instead of replying, Robert drew back from the lawyer with a look of
horror. Lady Lydiard started to her feet--and checked herself again, on
the point of speaking.
"Answer him, Moody," she said, putting a strong constraint on herself.
Robert answered very unwillingly. "I took the liberty of reminding
her ladyship that she had left her letter unsealed," he said. "And
I mentioned as my excuse for speaking,"--he stopped, and corrected
himself--"_I believe_ I mentioned that a valuable inclosure was in the
letter."
"You believe?" Mr. Troy repeated. "Can't you speak more positively than
that?"
"_I_ can speak positively," said Lady Lydiard, with her eyes on the
lawyer. "Moody did mention the inclosure in the letter--in Isabel
Miller's hearing as well as in mine." She paused, steadily controlling
herself. "And what of that, Mr. Troy?" she added, very quietly and
firmly.
Mr. Troy answered quietly and firmly, on his side. "I am surprised that
your Ladyship should ask the question," he said.
"I persist in repeating the question," Lady Lydiard rejoined. "I say
that Isabel Miller knew of the inclosure in my letter--and I ask, What
of that?"
"And I answer," retorted the impenetrable lawyer, "that the suspicion of
theft rests on your Ladyship's adopted daughter, and on nobody else.
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