“Left my home, Mr. Sawyer, three days ago, on a pretended visit to my sister, another aunt of hers, who keeps the large boarding-school, just beyond the third milestone, where there is a very large laburnum-tree and an oak gate,” said the old lady, stopping in this place to dry her eyes.

“Oh, devil take the laburnum-tree, ma’am!” said Bob, quite forgetting his professional dignity in his anxiety. “Get on a little faster; put a little more steam on, ma’am, pray.”

“This morning,” said the old lady slowly⁠—“this morning, she⁠—”

“She came back, ma’am, I suppose,” said Bob, with great animation. “Did she come back?”

“No, she did not; she wrote,” replied the old lady.

“What did she say?” inquired Bob eagerly.