Love to dear mamma and
Harriet. If I only had your forgiveness, how happy I should be,
dear, dear papa!
'Your little Belle.'
[This letter, mainly the production of the Signor, was prepared and put
into the hands of his accomplice before the runaways set off, with
directions to watch for Hiram's entrance into his house, and deliver
immediately after.]
Never before did Hiram Meeker give way to such an exhibition of rage.
He glared fiercely about him, as if endeavoring to find some person on
whom to vent it.
There was no one but his wife, who stood directly before him, her angry
reply in favor of 'Wakeman' having been cut short by the entrance of the
servant with the note.
As Hiram's glance fell on her, a sudden suspicion seized him that she
was in some way privy to the affair. In an instant he had grasped her
arm, and, shaking her with all his might, he exclaimed:
'Wretch!--monster!--she-devil!--limb of Satan!'
The affair was seriously enough certainly, but it had a ludicrous
aspect. There was Arabella, without having the slightest idea of what
could cause such a violent outbreak, tossed about like a whirligig by
the usually calm, sedate, and self-possessed Hiram, who seemed suddenly
transported into a very demon.
Portions of her headdress began to come down.
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