will be left all alone.
It will be very sad, and she is so wedded to Exeter that I
fear we shall not get her up to London.
I would describe Mr. Burgess to you, only I do not suppose
you would care to hear about him. He is not so tall as
Hugh, but he is a great deal better looking. With you two
the good looks are to be with the wife; but, with us, with
the husband. Perhaps you think Hugh is handsome. We used
to declare that he was the ugliest boy in the country.
I don't suppose it makes very much difference. Brooke is
handsome, but I don't think I should like him the less if
he were ever so ugly.
Do you remember hearing about the Miss Frenches when you
were in Devonshire? There has come up such a terrible
affair about them. A Mr. Gibson, a clergyman, was going to
marry the younger; but has changed his mind and wants to
take the elder. I think he was in love with her first.
Dorothy did not say a word about the little intermediate stage of
attachment to herself.
All this is making a great noise in the city, and some
people think he should be punished severely. It seems to
me that a gentleman ought not to make such a mistake; but
if he does, he ought to own it. I hope they will let him
marry the elder one. Aunt Stanbury says it all comes from
their wearing chignons. I wish you knew Aunt Stanbury,
because she is so good. Perhaps you wear a chignon. I
think Priscilla said that you did. It must not be large,
if you come to see Aunt Stanbury.
Pray write to me,--and believe that I hope to be your most
affectionate sister,
DOROTHY STANBURY.
P.S.--I am so happy, and I do so hope that you will be the
same.
This was received only a day before the departure of the Rowleys for
Italy, and was answered by a short note promising that Nora would
write to her correspondent from Florence.
There could be no doubt that Trevelyan had started with his boy,
fearing the result of the medical or legal interference with his
affairs which was about to be made at Sir Marmaduke's instance. He
had written a few words to his wife, neither commencing nor ending
his note after any usual fashion, telling her that he thought it
expedient to travel, that he had secured the services of a nurse for
the little boy, and that during his absence a certain income would,
as heretofore, be paid to her. He said nothing as to his probable
return, or
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