his time in London since the autumn, and, when there, had
not been anxious to see people who had, at any rate, treated him
somewhat roughly. But now it would be necessary that he should
answer Imogene's letter. What should be the nature of such answer he
certainly had not as yet decided, nor could he have decided before
those very convincing assurances of Sir Thomas Tringle. That matter
was at any rate over, and now the "Adriatic might wed another,"--if
the Adriatic thought well to do so. The matter, however, was one
which required a good deal of consideration. He gave to it ten
minutes of intense thought, during which he consumed a cup of coffee
and a cigarette; and then, throwing away the burnt end of the paper,
he hurried into the morning-room, and wrote to the lady as follows;--

DEAR IMOGENE,

You will not have to press to your bosom as my wife the
second daughter of Sir Thomas Tringle, Bart. The high
honour of that alliance has at last been refused by him in
very plain language. Had she become Mrs. Frank Houston, I
do not doubt but you would have done your duty to your own
cousin. That lot, however, has not been written for me in
the Book of Fates. The father is persistent in looking
upon me as an idle profligate adventurer; and though he
has been kind enough to hint more than once that it might
be possible for me to achieve the young lady, he has
succeeded in convincing me that I never should achieve
anything beyond the barren possession of her beauty. A
wife and family on my present very moderate income would
be burdensome; and, therefore, with infinite regrets, I
have bade adieu to Miss Tringle.

I have not hitherto been to see either you or your brother
or Mrs. Docimer because I have been altogether unaware
whether you or your brother or Mrs. Docimer would be glad
to see me. As you say yourself, there was a storm on the
Tyrolese hill-side,--in which there was more than one
wind blowing at the same time. I do not find fault with
anybody,--perhaps a storm was needed to clear the air. But
I hate storms. I do not pretend to be a very grand fellow,
but I do endeavour not to be disagreeable. Your brother,
if you remember, was a little hard. But, in truth, I say
this only to account for my apparent incivility.

And, perhaps, with another object;--to gain a little time
before I plunge into the stern necessity of answering a