Your most affectionate sister,

PRISCILLA.

On the receipt of this letter, Hugh proceeded to Nuncombe. At this
time he was making about ten guineas a week, and thought that
he saw his way to further work. No doubt the ten guineas were
precarious;--that is, the "Daily Record" might discontinue his
services to-morrow, if the "Daily Record" thought fit to do so. The
greater part of his earnings came from the "D. R.," and the editor
had only to say that things did not suit any longer, and there would
be an end of it. He was not as a lawyer or a doctor with many clients
who could not all be supposed to withdraw their custom at once; but
leading articles were things wanted with at least as much regularity
as physic or law, and Hugh Stanbury, believing in himself, did not
think it probable that an editor, who knew what he was about, would
withdraw his patronage. He was proud of his weekly ten guineas,
feeling sure that a weekly ten guineas would not as yet have been
his had he stuck to the Bar as a profession. He had calculated, when
Mrs. Trevelyan left the Clock House, that two hundred a year would
enable his mother to continue to reside there, the rent of the place
furnished, or half-furnished, being only eighty; and he thought
that he could pay the two hundred easily. He thought so still, when
he received Priscilla's last letter; but he knew something of the
stubbornness of his dear sister, and he, therefore, went down to
Nuncombe Putney, in order that he might use the violence of his logic
on his mother.

He had heard of Mr. Gibson from both Priscilla and from Dorothy,
and was certainly desirous that "dear old Dolly," as he called her,
should be settled comfortably. But when dear old Dolly wrote to him
declaring that it could not be so, that Mr. Gibson was a very nice
gentleman, of whom she could not say that she was particularly
fond,--"though I really do think that he is an excellent man, and if
it was any other girl in the world, I should recommend her to take
him,"--and that she thought that she would rather not get married, he
wrote to her the kindest brotherly letter in the world, telling her
that she was "a brick," and suggesting to her that there might come
some day some one who would suit her taste better than Mr. Gibson.
"I'm not very fond of parsons myself," said Hugh, "but you must not
tell that to Aunt Stanbury." Then he suggested that as he was going
down to Nuncombe, Dorothy should get leave of