"You know what she is and who she is, and you cannot doubt but what
she's a _goddess_ loath as you must feel to admit such a thing, and
I ask you if it would be downright wicked in me to do what she
tells me I must do. Indeed I wont do it, being no less than flying
with her immediate to a distant climb, and you know how repugnant I
am to such a action--not if you advise me against it or even if you
was but to assure me your affections were unchanged in spite of
all! But you know we parted under pigulier circs, and I cannot
disgise from myself that you may be thinking wuss of me than what
Matilda I can honestly say I deserve!

"Now I tell you solimly that if this is the fact, and you've been
thinking of your proper pride and your womanly dignity and things
like that--there's _no time for to do it in_ Matilda, if you don't
want to break with me for all Eternity!

"For she's pressing me to carry out the pledge, as she calls it,
and I must decide before this time to-morrow, and I want to feel
you are not lost to me before I can support my trial, and what with
countless perplexities and burglars threatening, and giving false
informations, and police searching, there's no saying what I may do
nor what I mayn't do if I'm left to myself, for indeed I am very
unappy Matilda, and if ever a man was made a Victim through acting
without intentions, or if with, of the best--I am that Party! O
Matilda don't, don't desert me, unless you have seased to care for
me, and in that contingency I can look upon my Fate whatever it be
with a apathy that will supply the courage which will not even
winch at its approach, but if I am still of value, come, and come
precious soon, or it will be too late to the Asistance of

"Your truly penitent and unfortunate

"LEANDER TWEDDLE.

"P.S.--You will see the condition of my feelings from my
spelling--I haven't the hart to spell."

Dawn was breaking as he put the final touches to this appeal, and read
it over with a gloomy approbation. He had always cherished the
conviction that he could "write a good letter when he was put to it,"
and felt now that he had more than risen to the occasion.

"William shall take it down to Bayswater the first thing to-morrow--no,
to-day, I mean," he said, rubbing hi