rado should come, with a pedigree of lineal
descent from some signory in the moon in one hand, and a ticket of
good-behaviour from the nearest Independent chapel, in the other'--?

'Why even _then_,' said my sister Arabel, 'it would not _do_.' And she
was right, and we all agreed that she was right. It is an obliquity of
the will--and one laughs at it till the turn comes for crying. Poor
Henrietta has suffered silently, with that softest of possible
natures, which hers is indeed; beginning with implicit obedience, and
ending with something as unlike it as possible: but, you see, where
money is wanted, and where the dependence is total--see! And when
once, in the case of the one dearest to me; when just at the last he
was involved in the same grief, and I attempted to make over my
advantages to him; (it could be no sacrifice, you know--_I_ did not
want the money, and could buy nothing with it so good as his
happiness,--) why then, my hands were seized and tied--and then and
there, in the midst of the trouble, came the end of all! I tell you
all this, just to make you understand a little. Did I not tell you
before? But there is no danger at present--and why ruffle this present
with disquieting thoughts? Why not leave that future to itself? For
me, I sit in the track of the avalanche quite calmly ... so calmly as
to surprise myself at intervals--and yet I know the reason of the
calmness well.

For Mr. Kenyon--dear Mr. Kenyon--he will speak the softest of words,
if any--only he will think privately that you are foolish and that I
am ungenerous, but I will not say so any more now, so as to teaze you.

There is another thing, of more consequence than _his_ thoughts, which
is often in my mind to ask you of--but there will be time for such
questions--let us leave the winter to its own peace. If I should be
ill again you will be reasonable and we both must submit to God's
necessity. Not, you know, that I have the least intention of being
ill, if I can help it--and in the case of a tolerably mild winter, and
with all this strength to use, there are probabilities for me--and
then I have sunshine from _you_, which is better than Pisa's.

And what more would you say? Do I not hear and understand! It seems to
me that I do both, or why all this wonder and gratitude? If the
devotion of the remainder of my life could prove that I hear, ...
would it be proof enough? Proof enough perhaps--but not gift enough.

May God bless you alway