er.
There might no longer be Romeos among the noble Capulets and the
noble Montagues,--whom indeed he believed to be dead to faith; but
the salt of truth had not therefore perished from the world. He
would get what he could from this wretched wreck of his father's
property,--obtain payment if it might be possible of that poor L500
for which he held the receipt,--and then go to some distant land in
which the wisest of counsellors would not counsel him that he was
unfit because of his trade to mate himself with noble blood.

When he had proved his father's will he sent a copy of it up to the
Countess with the following letter;--

Keswick, November 4, 183--.

MY LADY,

I do not know whether your ladyship will yet have heard
of my father's death. He died here on the 24th of last
month. He was taken with apoplexy on the 15th, and never
recovered from the fit. I think you will be sorry for him.

I find myself bound to send your ladyship a copy of his
will. Your ladyship perhaps may have some account of what
money has passed between you and him. I have none except a
receipt for L500 given to you by him many years ago. There
is also a bill against your ladyship for L71 18_s._ 9_d._
It may be that no more is due than this, but you will
know. I shall be happy to hear from your ladyship on the
subject, and am,

Yours respectfully,

DANIEL THWAITE.

But he still was resolved that before he departed for the far western
land he would obtain from Anna Lovel herself an expression of her
determination to renounce him.

CHAPTER XXVII.

LADY ANNA'S LETTER.

In the mean time the week had gone round, and Lady Anna's letter to
the Earl had not yet been written. An army was arrayed against the
girl to induce her to write such a letter as might make it almost
impossible for her afterwards to deny that she was engaged to the
lord, but the army had not as yet succeeded. The Countess had not
seen her daughter,--had been persistent in her refusal to let her
daughter come to her till she had at any rate repudiated her other
suitor; but she had written a strongly worded but short letter,
urging it as a great duty that Lady Anna Lovel was bound to support
her family and to defend her rank. Mrs. Bluestone, from day to day,
with soft loving words taught the same lesson. Alice Bluestone in
their daily conversations spoke of the tailor, or rather of this
promise to the tailor,