"Panney!" she exclaimed, "R. Panney! I believe it is from that tricky old
woman!" And with her elbows on the table she gave herself up to the study
of the telegram. "I never saw anything like it," she thought. "It looks
exactly as if she wanted to frighten him without telling him what has
happened. It could not be worse than it is, even if his sister is dead,
and if that were so, anybody would telegraph that she was very ill, so as
not to let it come on him too sudden. Nothing can be more dreadful than
what he'll think when he reads this. One thing is certain: she meant him
to go when he got it. Yes, indeed!" And a smile came upon her face as she
thought. "She wants him there; that is as plain as daylight."
At this moment a step was heard outside, and the telegram was slipped
into the table drawer. La Fleur arose and approached the open door; there
she saw Phoebe.
"How d'ye do, ma'am?" said that individual. "Do let me come in an' sit
down, for I'm nearly tired to death, an' so cross that I'd like to
fight a cat."
"What has happened to you?" asked La Fleur, when she and her visitor had
seated themselves.
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