"Yes; but, my dear friend, I particularly requested that you would wait at Wendover and watch certain events, and not come to Richmond until something had happened or was about to happen."
"You gave me your word that you would do as I directed you."
"Then, seeing you here, I am to presume that all the conditions of your engagement have been fulfilled."
"First, then, as you were not to come here until Mr. Alden Lytton was about to start or had started for this place, why, I am to presume, by seeing you here, that Mr. Lytton is either present in the city or on his way here."
"Mr. Lytton will leave Wendover for Richmond by the earliest train to-morrow. He will be here to-morrow evening," said Craven Kyte, gravely.
"You are absolutely sure of this?" inquired Mrs. Grey.
"As sure of it as any one can be of any future event. His heavy baggage came over from Blue Cliff Hall yesterday evening, and was left at the station to be ready for transportation on Monday morning, when Mr. Lytton intended to take the earliest train for this city."
"Then there can be no mistake," said Mary Grey.
"You say you have fulfilled all the conditions of our engagement?"
"How about those letters I inclosed to you to be re-mailed?"
"I received them all, and re-mailed them all. Did you get them? You never acknowledged the receipt of one of them, however," said Craven Kyte, thoughtfully.
"I got them all safe. There was no use in acknowledging them by letter, as I expected to see you so soon, and could acknowledge them so much better by word of mouth. But that is not exactly what I meant by my question, darling. Of course I knew without being told that you had re-mailed all those letters, as I had received them all."
"Then what was it you wished me to tell you, dearest Mary? Ask me plainly. I will tell you anything in the world that I know."
"Only this: Did you post those letters with great secrecy, taking extreme care that no one saw you do it?"
"My dearest, I took such care that I waited until the dead of night, when no one was abroad in the village, and I stole forth then, and, all unseen, dropped the letters into the night box."
"You darling! How good you are! What shall I ever do to repay you?" exclaimed the traitress, with well-acted enthusiasm.