ed from the first
at your gross cruelty to your unoffending wife; but even
that seems to me more intelligible than your conduct in
writing such words as those which you have dared to send
to me.

For your wife's sake, knowing that she is in a great
degree still in your power, I will condescend to tell
you what has happened. When Mrs. Trevelyan found herself
constrained to leave Nuncombe Putney by your aspersions
on her character, she came here, to the protection of her
nearest relatives within reach, till her father and mother
should be in England. Sorely against my will I received
them into my home, because they had been deprived of other
shelter by the cruelty or madness of him who should have
been their guardian. Here they are, and here they shall
remain till Sir Marmaduke Rowley arrives. The other day,
on the 29th of September, Colonel Osborne, who is their
father's old friend, called, not on them, but on me. I may
truly say that I did not wish to see Colonel Osborne. They
did not see him, nor did he ask to see them. If his coming
was a fault,--and I think it was a fault,--they were
not implicated in it. He came, remained a few minutes,
and went without seeing any one but myself. That is the
history of Colonel Osborne's visit to my house.

I have not thought fit to show your letter to your wife,
or to make her acquainted with this further proof of your
want of reason. As to the threats which you hold out
of removing her child from her, you can of course do
nothing except by law. I do not think that even you will
be sufficiently audacious to take any steps of that
description. Whatever protection the law may give her
and her child from your tyranny and misconduct cannot be
obtained till her father shall be here.

I have only further to request that you will not address
any further communication to me. Should you do so, it will
be refused.

Yours in deep indignation,

OLIPHANT OUTHOUSE.

Trevelyan had also written two other letters to England, one to Mr.
Bideawhile and the other to Bozzle. In the former he acquainted the
lawyer that he had discovered that his wife still maintained her
intercourse with Colonel Osborne, and that he must therefore remove
his child from her custody. He then inquired what steps would be
necessary to enable him to obtain possession of his little boy.
In the letter to