as a woman
greatly gifted, with many virtues, capable of self-sacrifice,
industrious, affectionate, and loving truth if not always true
herself. And yet such a word as that from this brute sufficed to
please her for the moment. She got up and kissed his forehead and
dropped for him some strong spirit in a glass, which she mixed with
water, and cooled his brow with eau-de-cologne. "Try to write it,
dearest. It should be written at once if it is to be written." Then
he turned himself wearily to her writing-desk, and copied the words
which she had prepared for him.

The letter was addressed to Mr. Boltby, and purported to be
a renunciation of all claim to Miss Hotspur's hand, on the
understanding that his debts were paid for him to the extent of
L25,000, and that an allowance were made to him of L500 a year,
settled on him as an annuity for life, as long as he should live out
of England. Mr. Boltby had given him to understand that this clause
would not be exacted, unless circumstances should arise which should
make Sir Harry think it imperative upon him to demand its execution.
The discretion must be left absolute with Sir Harry; but, as Mr.
Boltby said, Captain Hotspur could trust Sir Harry's word and his
honour.

"If I'm to be made to go abroad, what the devil are you to do?" he
had said to Mrs. Morton.

"There need be no circumstances," said Mrs. Morton, "to make it
necessary."

Of course Captain Hotspur accepted the terms on her advice. He had
obeyed Lady Altringham, and had tried to obey Emily, and would now
obey Mrs. Morton, because Mrs. Morton was the nearest to him.

The letter which he copied was a well-written letter, put together
with much taste, so that the ignoble compact to which it gave assent
should seem to be as little ignoble as might be possible. "I entered
into the arrangement," the letter said in its last paragraph,
"because I thought it right to endeavour to keep the property and the
title together; but I am aware now that my position in regard to my
debts was of a nature that should have deterred me from the attempt.
As I have failed, I sincerely hope that my cousin may be made happy
by some such splendid alliance as she is fully entitled to expect."
He did not understand all that the words conveyed; but yet he
questioned them. He did not perceive that they were intended to imply
that the writer had never for a moment loved the girl whom he had
proposed to marry. Nevertheless they did convey