not know why this particular letter
should be offered to him. "You don't suspect anything at Wharton, do
you?" she asked.

"Suspect anything! No; I don't suspect anything." But now, having had
his curiosity aroused, he took the letter which was offered to him
and read it. The letter was as follows:--

Wharton, Thursday.

DEAREST EMILY,--

We all hope that you had a pleasant journey up to London,
and that Mr. Wharton is quite well. Your brother Everett
came over to Longbarns the day after you started and drove
me back to Wharton in the dog-cart. It was such a pleasant
journey, though, now I remember, it rained all the way.
But Everett has always so much to say that I didn't mind
the rain. I think it will end in John taking the hounds.
He says he won't, because he does not wish to be the slave
of the whole county;--but he says it in that sort of way
that we all think he means to do it. Everett tells him
that he ought, because he is the only hunting man on this
side of the county who can afford to do it without feeling
it much; and of course what Everett says will go a long
way with him. Sarah [Sarah was John Fletcher's wife] is
rather against it. But if he makes up his mind she'll be
sure to turn round. Of course it makes us all very anxious
at present to know how it is to end, for the Master of the
Hounds always is the leading man in our part of the world.
Papa went to the bench at Ross yesterday and took Everett
with him. It was the first time that Everett had sat
there. He says I am to tell his father he has not hung
anybody as yet.

They have already begun to cut down, or what they call
stubb up, Barnton Spinnies. Everett said that it is no
good keeping it as a wood, and papa agreed. So it is to go
into the home farm, and Griffiths is to pay rent for it. I
don't like having it cut down as the boys always used to
get nuts there, but Everett says it won't do to keep woods
for little boys to get nuts.

Mary Stocking has been very ill since you went, and I'm
afraid she won't last long. When they get to be so very
bad with rheumatism I almost think it's wrong to pray for
them, because they are in so much pain. We thought at one
time that mamma's ointment had done her good, but when we
came to inquire, we found she had swallowed it. Wasn't it
dreadful? But it didn't seem to do her any harm. Everet