Yourslovingly，ROWENAWARWICK。
Thejudgewasunabletoconnectthisletterwiththetransactionwhichformedthesubjectofhisexamination。Agehaddimmedhisperceptionssomewhat，anditwasnotuntilhehadfinishedtheletter，andreaditoveragain，andnotedthesignatureatthebottomasecondtime，thatheperceivedthatthewritingwasinawoman’shand，thattheinkwascomparativelyfresh，andthattheletterwasdatedonlyacoupleofdaysbefore。
Whilehestillheldthesheetinhishand，itdawneduponhimslowlythatheheldalsooneofthelinksinachainofpossibletragedywhichhehimself，hebecameuncomfortablyaware，hadhadahandinforging。
\"ItistheWaldenwoman’sdaughter，assureasfate！HernameisRena。HerbrothergoesbythenameofWarwick。Shehascometovisithersickmother。Myyoungclient，Green’srelation，isherlover——isengagedtomarryher——isintown，andislikelytomeether！\"
Thejudgewassoabsorbedinthesituationthussuggestedthathelaidthepapersdownandponderedforamomentthecuriousprobleminvolved。Hewasquiteawarethattworaceshadnotdwelttogether，sidebyside，fornearlythreehundredyears，withoutminglingtheirbloodingreaterorlessdegree；hewasoldenough，andhadseencuriousthingsenough，toknowthatinthisminglingthecurrenthadnotalwaysflowedinonedirection。Certainolddecisionswithwhichhewasfamiliar；oldscandalsthathadcreptalongobscurechannels；oldfactsthathadcometotheknowledgeofanoldpractitioner，whoheldinthehollowofhishandthehonorofmorethanonefamily，madehimknowthattherewasdarkbloodamongthewhitepeople——notagreatdeal，andthatverymuchdiluted，and，solongasitwassedulouslyconcealedorvigorouslydenied，orlostinthemistsoftradition，orascribedtoaforeignoranaboriginalstrain，havingnoperceptibleeffectupontheracialtype。