manner.

The Reverend Augustin Ambrose received a letter, which he immediately
showed to his wife, as he showed most of his correspondence; for he was
of the disposition which may be termed wife-consulting. Married men are
generally of two kinds; those who tell their wives everything and those
who tell them nothing. It is evident that the relative merits of the two
systems depend chiefly upon the relative merits of the wives in question.
Mr. Ambrose had no doubt of the advantages of his own method and he
carried it to its furthest expression, for he never did anything whatever
without consulting his better half. On the whole the plan worked well,
for the vicar had learning and his wife had common sense. He therefore
showed the letter to her and she read it, and read it again, and finally
put it away, writing across the envelope in her own large, clear hand the
words--Goddard, Cottage--indicative of the contents.

* * * * *

"MY DEAR SIR--It is now nearly five months since I saw you last. Need I
tell you that the sense of your kindness is still fresh in my memory? You
do not know, indeed you cannot know, what an impression your goodness
made upon me. You showed me that I was acting rightly. It has been so
hard to act rightly. Of course you quite understand what I mean. I cannot
refer to the great sorrow which has overtaken me and my dear innocent
little Nellie. There is no use in referring to it, for I have told you
all. You allowed me to unburden my heart to you during my brief visit,
and ever since that day I have felt very much, I may say infinitely,
relieved.

"I am again about to ask you a favour; I trust indeed that I am not
asking too much, but I know by experience how kind you are and so I am
not afraid to ask this too. Do you remember speaking to me of the little
cottage? The picture you drew of it quite charmed me, and I have
determined to take it, that is, if it is still to be let and if it is not
asking quite too much of you. I mean, if you will take it for me. You
cannot think how grateful I shall be and I enclose a cheque. I am almost
sure you said thirty-six pounds. It was thirty-six, was it not? The
reason I venture to enclose the money is because you are so very kind,
but of course you do not know anything certain about me. But I am sure
you will understand. You said you were sure I could live with my little
girl in Billingsfield for three hundred a year. I find I have