lady-love, in
which, after repeating the oft-told story of her peerless loveliness and
his deathless devotion, he came down to practical matters, and spoke of
their mutual friend Mary Grey. He told Emma that Mrs. Grey was in the
city again, where she had been for some weeks, although he had not been
aware of the fact until he had met her that morning on Main Street while
on the way to his office.

He told her of "poor Mary Grey's" failing health and spirits and ghastly
appearance, and suggested those circumstances as probable reasons why
she had not written to her friends during the last three months.

Then he went back to the old everlasting theme of his infinite, eternal
love, etc., etc., etc., and closed with fervent prayers and blessings
and joyful anticipations.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE MASK THROWN OFF.

As a consequence of this, two days afterward Mary Grey received a
tender, affectionate, sympathetic letter from Emma Cavendish pressing
her to come down to Blue Cliffs at once and let them love her and nurse
her back to health and happiness. And this letter inclosed a check for
double the amount of the usual quarterly stipend.

Miss Cavendish, for some coy reason or other, did not allude to her
approaching marriage. Perhaps she deferred the communication purposely,
with the friendly hope that Mary Grey would visit her at Blue Cliffs,
where she could make it to her in person.

Mrs. Grey, who did not dare to let her true handwriting go to Blue
Cliffs, lest it should be seen and recognized by Mrs. Fanning, and who
could not disguise it safely either, without some fair excuse to Emma
Cavendish for doing so, put on a tight glove, and took a hard stiff pen
and wrote a short note, full of gratitude and affection for Emma and all
the family, and of complaints about her wretched crippled finger, that
made it so painful for her to write, and prevented her from doing so as
often as she wished; and of her still more wretched health, that
hindered her from accepting her dear friend's kind invitation.

In reply to this letter, she got another, and a still kinder one, in
which Miss Cavendish spoke of her own speedily approaching marriage, and
pressed Mrs. Grey to come and be present on the occasion, adding:

"My dearest, you _must_ make an effort and come. Alden himself
will escort you on the journey, and take such good care of you
that you shall suffer no inconvenience from the journey. You must
come