Three days after that, a second note was brought down from the great
house to the rectory, and this was from Lady Clavering to Harry. "Dear
Harry," ran the note--"Could you find time to come up to me this
morning? Sir Hugh has gone to North Priory. Ever yours, H. C." Harry, of
course, went, and as he went, he wondered how Sir Hugh could have had
the heart to go to North Priory at such a moment. North Priory was a
hunting seat some thirty miles from Clavering, belonging to a great
nobleman with whom Sir Hugh much consorted. Harry was grieved that his
cousin had not resisted the temptation of going at such a time, but he
was quick enough to perceive that Lady Clavering alluded to the absence
of her lord as a reason why Harry might pay his visit to the house with
satisfaction.

"I'm so much obliged to you for coming," said Lady Clavering. "I want to
know if you can do something for me." As she spoke, she had a paper in
her hand which he immediately perceived to be a letter from Italy.

"I'll do anything I can, of course, Lady Clavering."

"But I must tell you, that I hardly know whether I ought to ask you. I'm
doing what would make Hugh very angry. But he is so unreasonable and so
cruel about Julia. He condemns her simply because, as he says, there is
no smoke without fire. That is such a cruel thing to say about a woman;
is it not?"

Harry thought that it was a cruel thing, but as he did not wish to speak
evil of Sir Hugh before Lady Clavering, he held his tongue.

"When we got the first news by telegraph, Julia said that she intended