Half an hour after receiving the Duke's letter he suddenly jumped
up and sat himself down at his desk. He felt it to be necessary
that he should at once write to his old friend;--and the more
necessary that he should do so at once, because he had resolved
that he would do so before he had made up his mind on the chief
subject of that letter. It did not suit him to say either that he
would or that he would not do as his friend had advised him. The
reply was made in a very few words. 'As to myself,' he said, after
expressing his regret that the Duke should find it necessary to
retire from public life--'as to myself, pray understand that
whatever I may do I shall never cease to be grateful for your
affectionate and high-spirited counsels.'
Then his mind recurred to a more immediate and, for the moment, a
heavier trouble. He had as yet given no answer to that letter from
Mrs Finn, which the reader will perhaps remember. It might indeed
be passed over without an answer; but that was impossible. She had
accused him in the very strongest language of injustice, and had
made him understand that if he were unjust to her, then would he
be most ungrateful.
Pages:
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308