I believe I am the only person existing who knows the truth; and
the means by which I obtained my knowledge would be deemed scarcely
correct, though not perhaps exactly dishonourable.'
This avowal sharpened my curiosity, and I entreated her to say at
least how she became possessed of the story.
'To that there can be no objection,' was the reply. 'In one of my
rambles over the old house, I espied in a small escritoire a packet
of letters bound up in tape, which was sealed at the ends. The tape
had, however, been eaten by moths, and the letters liberated from it.
Female curiosity prompted me to read them, and they gave me a full
exposition of our great-aunt's early history.'
During the rest of my stay in that part of the country, I never
failed to urge my cousin to narrate the events which had brought
Coote-down to its present melancholy plight. But it was not till I
called to take leave of her, perhaps for ever, that she complied.
On that occasion, she placed in my hands a neatly-written manuscript
in her own handwriting, which she said contained all the particulars
I required.
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