at once; and his letter is inside this, with the
direction of the house and the street.

Now, Mary, dear, go at once, and see what you can find out. The
direction on the doctor's letter may be his home; and if it isn't, there
may be people there who can tell you where it is. So go at once, and
let us know directly what luck you have had, for there is no time to be
lost; and if you saw the young gentleman, you would pity him as much as
we do.

This has got to be such a long letter, that I have no room left to write
any more. God bless you, Mary, and God bless my darling Susan! Give her
a kiss for father's sake, and believe me, Your loving husband,

WILLIAM PENHALE.

*****

LETTER II.

FROM MARY PENHALE TO HER HUSBAND

DEAREST WILLIAM,

Susan sends a hundred kisses, and best loves to you and her brothers and
sisters. She's getting on nicely; and her mistress is as kind and fond
of her as can be. Best respects, too, from my sister Martha, and her
husband. And now I've done giving you all my messages, I'll tell you
some good news for the poor young gentleman who is so bad at Treen.

As soon as I had seen Susan, and read your letter to her, I went to
the place where the doctor's letter directed me. Such a grand house,
William! I was really afraid to knock at the door. So I plucked up
courage, and gave a pull at the bell; and a very fat, big man, with his
head all plastered over with powder, opened the door, almost before I
had done ringing. "If you please, Sir," says I, showing him the name on
the doctor's letter, "do any friends of this gentleman live here?" "To
be sure they do," says he; "his father and sister live here: but what do
you want to know for?" "I want them to read this letter," says I. "It's
to tell them that the young gentleman is very bad in health down in our
country." "You can't see my master," says he, "for he's confined to his
bed by illness: and Miss Clara is very poorly too--you had better leave
the letter with me." Just as he said this, an elderly lady crossed the
hall (I found out she was the housekeeper, afterwards), and asked what
I wanted. When I told her, she looked quite startled. "Step this way,
ma'am," says she; "you will do Miss Clara more good than all the doctors
put together. But you must break the news to her carefully, before she
sees the letter. Please to make it out better news than it is, for
the young lady is in very delicate