Drake read his through, and said to Fielding, 'You have a letter from Mrs.Willoughby ?' 'Yes.' 'Any news ?' Fielding looked him in the face.

'Yes,' he said slowly, and putting the letter in his pocket, buttoned it up.

Drake understood alike from his tone and action what news the letter conveyed, and made no further inquiry.

He fell instead to talking of some machinery which the boat had brought up along with the letters.

The letter, indeed, was written in a vein which made it impossible for Fielding to follow the usual habit of reading Mrs.Willoughby's letters aloud to his companion.