His father kept him waiting over a week before he replied to the
announcement Guy had ultimately decided to send him; and when it came,
the letter did not promise the most favorable prospect.

FOX HALL, GALTON, HANTS,
_September 1st_.

DEAR GUY,--I have taken a few days to think over the extraordinary
news you have seen fit to communicate. I hope I am not so far
removed from sympathy with your aspirations as not to be able to
understand almost anything you might have to tell me about
yourself. But this I confess defeats my best intentions, setting
as it does a crown on all the rest of your acts of folly. I tried
to believe that your desire to write poetry was merely a passing
whim. I tried to think that your tenancy of this house was not the
behavior of a thoughtless and wilful young man. I was most
anxious, as I clearly showed (i) by my gift of L150, (ii) by my
offer of a post at Fox Hall, to put myself in accord with your
ambition; and now you write and tell me after a year's
unprofitable idling that you are engaged to be married! I admit as
a minute point in your favor you do not suggest that I should help
you to tie yourself for life to the fancy of a young man of just
twenty-three. Little did I think when I wrote to wish you many
happy returns of the 20th of August, although you had previously
disappointed me by your refusal to help me out of a nasty
difficulty, little did I think that my answer was going to be this
piece of reckless folly. May I ask what her parents are thinking
of, or are they so blinded by your charms as to be willing to
allow this daughter of theirs to wait until the income you make by
selling your poetry enables you to get married? I gathered from
your description of Mr. Grey that he was an extremely unpractical
man; and his attitude towards your engagement certainly bears me
out. I suppose I shall presently get a post-card to say that you
are married on your income of L150, which, by the way, in the
present state of affairs is very likely soon to be less. You
invite me to come and stay with you before term begins, in order
to meet the young lady to whom with extremely bad taste you
jocularly allude as my "future daughter-in-law." Well, I accept
your invitation, but I warn you that I shall give myself the
unpleasant task of e