seal, and the colour rose crimson to her temples as she glanced at its contents. With ill-concealed trepidation, she penned a brief and hurried answer; and Charles saw with what tremulous anxiety it was given to the girl, who showed a true genius for her vocation, and, by dint of throwing down some loose sheets of music, and then picking them up, contrived to place herself between her lady and the rest of the company.
Alice left the room; but Francesca still busied herself with the strings of her guitar. A very novice in deception, she fancied all must notice her manœuvre, and could as little restrain the vivid blush as she could still the beatings of her heart.
Charles followed the girl into the gallery, down which she was slowly proceeding, holding the little twisted scroll in her hand, and looking at it with that expression of fear and curiosity which seems to say, "Now, if you were not so intricately folded, I would open you and see your contents; but I shall not be able to replace these folds in proper order if I do—still, I have a great mind to try."
Her indecision was of short duration; for Charles, whose approach she had not perceived, suddenly snatched the note from her hand, and,
