ugh he could not fill up the details.

"Base, treacherous woman!" he murmured to himself, and then, pressing
Emily more closely to his heart, he thanked her again and again for her
frankness. "I will never misuse it, my Emily," he said; "and no one
shall ever know what you have told me except your father: to him it must
be absolutely revealed."

"I would have told him myself," said Emily, "if he had ever asked me any
questions on the subject; but as he did not, and seemed very gloomy just
then, I thought it better to follow Mrs. Hazleton's advice."

"The worst and the basest she could have given you," said Marlow; "I
have had doubts of her for a long time, Emily, but I have no doubts now;
and, moreover, I firmly believe that the whole case of this John
Ayliffe--his claim upon your father's estate and title--is all false and
factitious together, supported by fraud, forgery, and crime. Have you
preserved this young man's letter, or have you destroyed it, Emily?"

"I kept it," she replied, "thinking that, some time or another, I might
have to show it to my father."

"Then one more mark of confidence, my love," said Marlow; "let me have
that letter. I do not wish to read it; therefore you had better fold it
up and seal it; but it may be necessary as a link in the chain of
evidence which I wish to bring forward for your father's satisfaction."

"Read it, if you will, Marlow," she answered; "I have told you the
contents, but it may be as well that you should see the words: I will
bring it to you in a moment."

They read the letter over together, and when Marlow had concluded, he
laid his hand upon it, saying, "This is Mrs. Hazleton's composition."

"I'm almost inclined to fancy so, myself," answered Emily.

"He is incapable of writing this," replied her lover; "I have seen his
letters on matters of business, and he cannot write a plain sentence in
English to an end without making some gross mistake. This is Mrs.
Hazleton's doing, and there is some dark design underneath it. Would to
God that visit had never taken place!"

"There has been little happiness in the house since," said Emily,
"except what you and I have known together, Marlow; and that has been
sadly checkered by many a painful circumstance."

"The clouds are breaking, dear one," replied Marlow, rising; "but I will
not pause one moment in my course till all this is made clear--no, not
even for the delight of sitting here by you, my love. I will go home a