DEAR GERARD,--

I have been thinking that I should hear from you, and have
been surprised,--I may say unhappy,--because I have not
done so. Perhaps you thought I ought to have answered the
three words which you wrote to me about your father; if
so, I will apologise; only they did not seem to give me
anything to say. I was very sorry that your father should
have 'cut up rough,' as you call it, but you must remember
that we both expected that he would refuse, and that
we are only therefore where we thought we should be.
I suppose we shall have to wait till Providence does
something for us,--only, if so, it would be pleasanter to
me to hear your own opinion about it.

The Chilterns are surprised that you shouldn't have come
back, and seen the end of the season. There were some very
good runs just at last;--particularly one on last Monday.
But on Wednesday Trumpeton Wood was again blank, and there
was some row about wires. I can't explain it all; but you
must come, and Lord Chiltern will tell you. I have gone
down to see the horses ever so often;--but I don't care to
go now as you never write to me. They are all three quite
well, and Fan looks as silken and as soft as any lady need
do.

Lady Chiltern has been kinder than I can tell you. I go
up to town with her in May, and shall remain with her
while she is there. So far I have decided. After that
my future home must, sir, depend on the resolution and
determination, or perhaps on the vagaries and caprices, of
him who is to be my future master. Joking apart, I must
know to what I am to look forward before I can make up my
mind whether I will or will not go back to Italy towards
the end of the summer. If I do, I fear I must do so just
in the hottest time of the year; but I shall not like
to come down here again after leaving London,--unless
something by that time has been settled.

I shall send this to your club, and I hope that it will
reach you. I suppose that you are in London.

Good-bye, dearest Gerard.

Yours most affectionately,

ADELAIDE.

If there is anything that troubles you, pray tell me. I
ask you because I think it would be better for you that I
should know. I sometimes think that you would have written
if there had not been some misfortune. God bless you.

Gerard was in London, and sent the following note by return of