He had also
dispatched a boy to Drift that Mary might be warned as to the letter she
would receive by the morning post, but the lad, though ample time was given
him to reach Drift before the postman, loitered by the way. Thus the
letters had arrived simultaneously, and it was quite an open question which
the receiver of them would open first.
Chance decided: Mary's hand, thrust haphazard into her pocket, came forth
with Hoy's epistle recently dispatched from Mousehole; and that she read,
the accident saving her at least some moments of bitter suffering.
"Dear Mary," wrote Noy, "you will get this by hand afore the coming in of
the penny post. When that comes in, there will be another letter for you
from me, sent off from London. It is all wrong, so burn it, and don't you
read it on no account. Burn it to ashes, for theer's a many reasons why you
should. I be coming up-long to see you arter dinner, and if you can walk
out in the air with me for a bit I'll thank you so to do. Your friend, J.
Noy. Burn the letter to dust 'fore anything else. Don't let it bide a
minute and doan't tell none you had it."
Curiosity was no part of Mary Chirgwin's nature. Now she merely thanked
Heaven which had led to the right letter and so enabled her unconsciously
to obey Joe's urgent command. Then she returned to the kitchen, placed his
earlier communication in the heart of the fire and watched while it
blackened, curled, blazed, and finally shuddered down into a red-hot ash.
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