sleep, and she could leave him, and go to her own room, to
forgetfulness and rest, if she could find those priceless blessings.

CHAPTER X.

Mr. Corbet was so well known at the Parsonage by the two old servants,
that he had no difficulty, on reaching it, after his departure from Ford
Bank, in having the spare bed-chamber made ready for him, late as it was,
and in the absence of the master, who had taken a little holiday, now
that Lent and Easter were over, for the purpose of fishing. While his
room was getting ready, Ralph sent for his clothes, and by the same
messenger he despatched the little note to Ellinor. But there was the
letter he had promised her in it still to be written; and it was almost
his night's employment to say enough, yet not too much; for, as he
expressed it to himself, he was half way over the stream, and it would be
folly to turn back, for he had given nearly as much pain both to himself
and Ellinor by this time as he should do by making the separation final.
Besides, after Mr. Wilkins's speeches that evening--but he was candid
enough to acknowledge that, bad and offensive as they had been, if they
had stood alone they might have been condoned.

His letter ran as follows:

"DEAREST ELLINOR, for dearest you are, and I think will ever be, my
judgment has consented to a step which is giving me great pain,
greater than you will readily believe. I am convinced that it is
better that we should part; for circumstances have occurred since we
formed our engagement which, although I am unaware of their exact
nature, I can see weigh heavily upon you, and have materially affected
your father's behaviour. Nay, I think, after to-night, I may almost
say have entirely altered his feelings towards me. What these
circumstances are I am ignorant, any further than that I know from
your own admission, that they may lead to some future disgrace. Now,
it may be my fault, it may be in my temperament, to be anxious, above
all things earthly, to obtain and possess a high reputation. I can
only say that it is so, and leave you to blame me for my weakness as
much as you like. But anything that might come in between me and this
object would, I own, be ill tolerated by me; the very dread of such an
obstacle intervening would paralyse me. I should become irritable,
and, deep as my affection is, and always must be, towards you, I could
not promise you a ha