"Please to excuse me, miss," she said with a last
horrified look at her venerable visitor; "I really can't stand the sight
of such a blot of dirt as that in my nice clean parlor." With those
words she disappeared, and was seen no more.
Perfectly indifferent to his reception, Old Sharon wrote, inclosed what
he had written in an envelope; and sealed it (in the absence of anything
better fitted for his purpose) with the mouthpiece of his pipe.
"Now, miss," he said, "you give me your word of honor,"--he stopped and
looked round at Moody with a grin--"and you give me yours, that you
won't either of you break the seal on this envelope till the expiration
of one week from the present day. There are the conditions, Miss Isabel,
on which I'll give you your information. If you stop to dispute with me,
the candle's alight, and I'll burn it!"
It was useless to contend with him. Isabel and Moody gave him the
promise that he required. He handed the sealed envelope to Isabel with
a low bow. "When the week's out," he said, "you will own I'm a cleverer
fellow than you think me now. Wish you good evening, Miss. Come along,
Puggy! Farewell to the horrid clean country, and back again to the nice
London stink!"
He nodded to Moody--he leered at Isabel--he chuckled to himself--he left
the farmhouse.
CHAPTER XV.
ISABEL looked down at the letter in her hand--considered it in
silence--and turned to Moody. "I feel tempted to open it already," she
said.
"After giving your promise?" Moody gently remonstrated.
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