In the meantime, Emily, left by herself, had her owncorrespondence to occupy her attention. Besides the letter fromCecilia (directed to the care of Sir Jervis Redwood), she hadreceived some lines addressed to her by Sir Jervis himself. Thetwo inclosures had been secured in a sealed envelope, directed tothe cottage.

If Alban Morris had been indeed the person trusted as messengerby Sir Jervis, the conclusion that followed filled Emily withoverpowering emotions of curiosity and surprise.

Having no longer the motive of serving and protecting her, Albanmust, nevertheless, have taken the journey to Northumberland. Hemust have gained Sir Jervis Redwood's favor and confidence--andhe might even have been a guest at the baronet's countryseat--when Cecilia's letter arrived. What did it mean?

Emily looked back at her experience of her last day at school,and recalled her consultation with Alban on the subject of Mrs.Rook. Was he still bent on clearing up his suspicions of SirJervis's housekeeper? And, with that end in view, had he followedthe woman, on her return to her master's place of abode?

Suddenly, almost irritably, Emily snatched up Sir Jervis'sletter. Before the doctor had come in, she had glanced at it, andhad thrown it aside in her impatience to read what Cecilia hadwritten. In her present altered frame of mind, she was inclinedto think that Sir Jervis might be the more interestingcorrespondent of the two.

Onreturning to his letter, she was disappointed at the outset.

In the first place, his handwriting was so abominably bad thatshe was obliged to guess at his meaning. In the second place, henever hinted at the circumstances under which Cecilia's letterhad been confided to the gentleman who had left it at her door.

She would once more have treated the baronet's communication withcontempt--but for the discovery that it contained an offer ofemployment in London, addressed to herself.

Sir Jervis had necessarily been obliged to engage anothersecretary in Emily's absence. But he was still in want of aperson to serve his literary interests in London. He had reasonto believe that discoveries made by modern travelers in CentralAmerica had been reported from time to time by the English press;and he wished copies to be taken of any notices of this sortwhich might be found, on referring to the files of newspaperskept in the reading-room of the British Museum. If Emilyconsidered herself capable of contributing in this way to thecompleteness of his great work on "the ruined cities," she hadonly to apply to his bookseller in London, who would pay her thecustomary remuneration and give her every assistance of which shemight stand in need. The bookseller's name and address followed(with nothing legible but the two words "Bond Street"), and therewas an end of Sir Jervis's proposal.

Emily laid it aside, deferring her answer until she had readCecilia's letter.