This early visitor was no other than Miss Ethel Newcome.
The young lady espied me immediately. "Come down; come down to me this
moment, Mr. Pendennis," she cried out. I hastened down to her, supposing
rightly that news of importance had brought her to Rosebury so early.
The news were of importance indeed. "Look here!" she said, "read this;"
and she took a paper from the pocket of her habit. "When I went home last
night, after Madame de Florac had been talking to us about Orme's India,
I took the volumes from the bookcase and found this paper. It is in my
grandmother's--Mrs. Newcome's--handwriting; I know it quite well, it is
dated on the very day of her death. She had been writing and reading in
her study on that very night; I have often heard papa speak of the
circumstance. Look and read. You are a lawyer, Mr. Pendennis; tell me
about this paper."
I seized it eagerly, and cast my eyes over it; but having read it, my
countenance fell.
"My dear Miss Newcome, it is not worth a penny," I was obliged to own.
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