Isabel received her letter by the next morning's post. If any
justification of Mr. Troy's suspicions had been needed, the terms in
which Moody wrote would have amply supplied it.
"DEAR ISABEL (I hope I may call you 'Isabel' without offending you, in
your present trouble?)--I have a proposal to make, which, whether
you accept it or not, I beg you will keep a secret from every living
creature but ourselves. You will understand my request, when I add that
these lines relate to the matter of tracing the stolen bank-note.
"I have been privately in communication with a person in London, who is,
as I believe, the one person competent to help us in gaining our end.
He has already made many inquiries in private. With some of them I am
acquainted; the rest he has thus far kept to himself. The person to whom
I allude, particularly wishes to have half an hour's conversation with
you in my presence. I am bound to warn you that he is a very strange
and very ugly old man; and I can only hope that you will look over his
personal appearance in consideration of what he is likely to do for your
future advantage.
"Can you conveniently meet us, at the further end of the row of villas
in which your aunt lives, the day after to-morrow, at four o'clock? Let
me have a line to say if you will keep the appointment, and if the hour
named will suit you. And believe me your devoted friend and servant,
"ROBERT MOODY."
The lawyer's warning to her to be careful how she yielded too readily to
any proposal of Moody's recurred to Isabel's mind while she read those
lines.
Pages:
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123