ettina. The telegrams sent to the lawyers, the rector, and others
had been signed "Hurdly." Several of these she had seen. It seemed to
her, therefore, a very delicate instinct which had caused him to
refrain from the use of her husband's name in addressing her. He had
always been delicate in his intuitions and expressions, or at least
so it had seemed.

The effect of this telegram upon Bettina was to make her more
confused and uncertain in her plans than she had been before. She
felt a strong instinct to avoid meeting Horace again, and yet this
telegram was in the form of a request, and she could hardly refuse to
do him a favor. In the midst of her perplexity a servant brought word
that Mr. Cortlin had arrived and asked to see her.

When the lawyer entered, with his usual obsequious bow, Bettina
received him with a rather cold civility. Her manner had become
distinctly more haughty since her descent in the scale of social and
pecuniary importance.

Mr. Cortlin did not take the seat to which she invited him, but
remained standing, with his hat in his hand, as he said:

"A former client of mine, and friend of his late lordship, Mr.
Fitzwilliam Clarke, who died about a year ago, left in my keeping a
letter to your ladyship, which he instructed me to deliver in person
upon the death of Lord Hurdly. I am come now, my lady, in the
fulfilment of that trust."

Bettina looked at him in amazement.

"There must be some mistake," she said. "I know no Mr. Fitzwilliam
Clarke. I have never even heard his name."

"That may be, my lady, but there is no mistake. This letter was meant
for you."

Bettina took the letter he held out, and opened it with a certain
incredulous haste. Mr. Cortlin at the same moment walked away to a
window, and stood there with his back turned while Bettina read the
following sentences:

"MY DEAR LADY HURDLY,--Should this letter ever come to your
eyes, you will be at that time a widow, as I have left
instructions that it shall be delivered only in the event
of your surviving your husband. By that time I shall have
passed into the unknown world, where, if such things can
be, I shall have had with Lord Hurdly an understanding
which, by the hard conditions he imposed on me, was
impossible in this life. But before leaving the world of
human life and action I wish to make sure that at least one
wrong which came about through me will have been r