ever get done, and I am coming to
hate farming. It is awful lonely here, too, and I pass all
my evenings by myself, wondering why I should be doomed
to this kind of thing, while you and Mary are comfortable
together at Belton. We have begun with the wheat, and as
soon as that is safe I shall cut and run. I shall leave
the barley to Bunce. Bunce knows as much about it as I
do,--and as for remaining here all the summer, it's out of
the question.

My own dear, darling love, of course I don't intend to
urge you to do anything that you don't like; but upon my
honour I don't see the force of what you say. You know I
have as much respect for your father's memory as anybody,
but what harm can it do to him that we should be married
at once? Don't you think he would have wished it himself?
It can be ever so quiet. So long as it's done, I don't
care a straw how it's done. Indeed, for the matter of
that, I always think it would be best just to walk to
church and to walk home again without saying anything to
anybody. I hate fuss and nonsense, and really I don't
think anybody would have a right to say anything if we
were to do it at once in that sort of way. I have had a
bad time of it for the last twelvemonth. You must allow
that, and I think that I ought to be rewarded.

As for living, you shall have your choice. Indeed you
shall live anywhere you please;--at Timbuctoo if you like
it. I don't want to give up Plaistow, because my father
and grandfather farmed the land themselves; but I am quite
prepared not to live here. I don't think it would suit
you, because it has so much of the farm-house about it.
Only I should like you sometimes to come and look at the
old place. What I should like would be to pull down the
house at Belton and build another. But you mustn't propose
to put it off till that's done, as I should never have the
heart to do it. If you think that would suit you, I'll
make up my mind to live at Belton for a constancy; and
then I'd go in for a lot of cattle, and don't doubt I'd
make a fortune. I'm almost sick of looking at the straight
ridges in the big square fields every day of my life.

Give my love to Mary. I hope she fights my battle for me.
Pray think of all this, and relent if you can. I do so
long to have an end of this purgatory. If there was any
use, I wouldn't say a word; bu