is letter he
sent her an enclosure longer than the letter itself in which his wishes
were clearly explained.

This enclosure purported to be an expression of Lord Ongar's wishes on
many subjects, as they had been communicated to Count Pateroff in the
latter days of the lord's life; but as the manuscript was altogether in
the count's writing, and did not even pretend to have been subjected to
Lord Ongar's eye, it simply amounted to the count's own story of their
alleged conversations. There might have been no such conversations, or
their tenor might have been very different from that which the count
represented, or the statements and opinions, if expressed at all by Lord
Ongar, might have been expressed at times when no statements or opinions
coming from him could be of any value. But as to these conversations, if
they could have been verified as having come from Lord Ongar's mouth
when he was in full possession of such faculties as he possessed--all
that would have amounted to nothing with Lady Ongar. To Lord Ongar alive
she had owed obedience, and had been obedient. To Lord Ongar dead she
owed no obedience, and would not be obedient.

Such would have been her feelings as to any document which could have
reached her, purporting to contain Lord Ongar's wishes; but this
document was of a nature which made her specially antagonistic to the
exercise of any such marital authority from the grave. It was very long,
and went into small details--details which were very small; but the
upshot of it all was a tendering of great thanks to Count Pateroff; and
the expression of a strong wish that the count should marry his widow.
"O. said that this would be the only thing for J.'s name." "O. said that
this would be the safest course for his own honor." "O. said, as he took
my hand, that in promising to take this step I gave him great comfort."
"O. commissioned me to speak to J. in his name to this effect." The O.
was, of course, Lord Ongar, and the J. was, of course, Julia. It was all
in French, and went on in the same strain for many pages. Lady Ongar
answered the letter as follows:

Lady Ongar presents her compliments to Count Pateroff, and begs to
return the enclosed manuscript, which is, to her, perfectly
valueless. Lady Ongar must still decline, and now more strongly than
before, to receive Count Pateroff.

BOLTON STREET, May, 186--

She was quite firm as she did this. She had no doubt at all on the
matt