I。
DR。DILLONTOEDWARDDELANEY，ESQ。，ATTHEPINES。
NEARRYE，N。H。
August8，1872。
MyDearSir：Iamhappytoassureyouthatyouranxietyiswithoutreason。Flemmingwillbeconfinedtothesofaforthreeorfourweeks，andwillhavetobecarefulatfirsthowheuseshisleg。A
fractureofthiskindisalwaysatediousaffair。FortunatelythebonewasveryskilfullysetbythesurgeonwhochancedtobeinthedrugstorewhereFlemmingwasbroughtafterhisfall，andI
apprehendnopermanentinconveniencefromtheaccident。Flemmingisdoingperfectlywellphysically；butImustconfessthattheirritableandmorbidstateofmindintowhichhehasfallencausesmeagreatdealofuneasiness。Heisthelastmanintheworldwhooughttobreakhisleg。Youknowhowimpetuousourfriendisordinarily，whatasoulofrestlessnessandenergy，nevercontentunlessheisrushingatsomeobject，likeasportivebullataredshawl；butamiablewithal。Heisnolongeramiable。Histemperhasbecomesomethingfrightful。MissFannyFlemmingcameupfromNewport，wherethefamilyarestayingforthesummer，tonursehim；
buthepackedheroffthenextmorningintears。HehasacompletesetofBalzac’sworks，twenty—sevenvolumes，piledupnearhissofa，tothrowatWatkinswheneverthatexemplaryserving—manappearswithhismeals。YesterdayIveryinnocentlybroughtFlemmingasmallbasketoflemons。Youknowitwasastripoflemonpeelonthecurbstonethatcausedourfriend’smischance。
Well，henosoonersetiseyesuponthoselemonsthanhefellintosucharageasIcannotadequatelydescribe。Thisisonlyoneofmoods，andtheleastdistressing。Atothertimeshesitswithbowedheadregardinghissplinteredlimb，silent，sullen，despairing。
Whenthisfitisonhim——anditsometimeslastsallday——nothingcandistracthismelancholy。Herefusestoeat，doesnotevenreadthenewspapers；books，exceptasprojectilesforWatkins，havenocharmsforhim。Hisstateistrulypitiable。
Now，ifhewereapoorman，withafamilydependingonhisdailylabor，thisirritabilityanddespondencywouldbenaturalenough。
Butinayoungfellowoftwenty—four，withplentyofmoneyandseeminglynotacareintheworld，thethingismonstrous。Ifhecontinuestogivewaytohisvagariesinthismanner，hewillendbybringingonaninflammationofthefibula。Itwasthefibulahebroke。Iamatmywits’endtoknowwhattoprescribeforhim。I
haveanaestheticsandlotions，tomakepeoplesleepandtosoothepain；butI’venomedicinethatwillmakeamanhavealittlecommon—sense。Thatisbeyondmyskill，butmaybeitisnotbeyondyours。YouareFlemming’sintimatefriend，hisfidusAchates。Writetohim，writetohimfrequently，distracthismind，cheerhimup，andpreventhimfrombecomingaconfirmedcaseofmelancholia。
Perhapshehassomeimportantplansdisarrangedbyhispresentconfinement。Ifhehasyouwillknow，andwillknowhowtoadvisehimjudiciously。Itrustyourfatherfindsthechangebeneficial？
Iam，mydearsir，withgreatrespect，etc。
II。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING，WEST38THSTREET，NEWYORK。
August9，1872。
MyDearJack：IhadalinefromDillonthismorning，andwasrejoicedtolearnthatyourhurtisnotsobadasreported。Likeacertainpersonage，youarenotsoblackandblueasyouarepainted。Dillonwillputyouonyourpinsagainintwotothreeweeks，ifyouwillonlyhavepatienceandfollowhiscounsels。DidyougetmynoteoflastWednesday？IwasgreatlytroubledwhenI
heardoftheaccident。
Icanimaginehowtranquilandsaintlyyouarewithyourleginatrough！Itisdeucedawkward，tobesure，justaswehadpromisedourselvesagloriousmonthtogetheratthesea—side；butwemustmakethebestofit。Itisunfortunate，too，thatmyfather’shealthrendersitimpossibleformetoleavehim。Ithinkhehasmuchimproved；theseaairishisnativeelement；buthestillneedsmyarmtoleanuponinhiswalks，andrequiressomeonemorecarefulthataservanttolookafterhim。Icannotcometoyou，dearJack，butIhavehoursofunemployedtimeonhand，andIwillwriteyouawholepost—officefullofletters，ifthatwilldivertyou。Heavenknows，Ihaven’tanythingtowriteabout。Itisn’tasifwewerelivingatoneofthebeachhouses；thenIcoulddoyousomecharacterstudies，andfillyourimaginationwithgroupsofsea—goddesses，withtheir（orsomebodyelse’s）ravenandblondemaneshangingdowntheirshoulders。YoushouldhaveAphroditeinmorningwrapper，ineveningcostume，andinherprettiestbathingsuit。Butwearefarfromallthathere。Wehaveroomsinafarm—house，onacross—road，twomilesfromthehotels，andleadthequietestoflives。
IwishIwereanovelist。Thisoldhouse，withitssandedfloorsandhighwainscots，anditsnarrowwindowslookingoutuponaclusterofpinesthatturnthemselvesintoaeolianharpseverytimethewindblows，wouldbetheplaceinwhichtowriteasummerromance。Itshouldbeastorywiththeodorsoftheforestandthebreathoftheseainit。ItshouldbeanovellikeoneofthatRussianfellow’s——what’shisname？——Tourguenieff，Turguenef，Turgenif，Toorguniff，Turgenjew——nobodyknowshowtospellhim。YetIwonderifevenaLizaoranAlexandraPaulovnacouldstirtheheartofamanwhohasconstanttwingesinhisleg。IwonderifoneofourownYankeegirlsofthebesttype，haughtyandspirituelle，wouldbeofanycomforttoyouinyourpresentdeplorablecondition。IfIthoughtso，IwouldhastendowntotheSurfHouseandcatchoneforyou；or，betterstill，Iwouldfindyouoneovertheway。
Picturetoyourselfalargewhitehousejustacrosstheroad，nearlyoppositeourcottage。Itisnotahouse，butamansion，built，perhaps，inthecolonialperiod，withramblingextensions，andgambrelroof，andawidepiazzaonthreesides——aself—
possessed，high—bredpieceofarchitecture，withitsnoseintheair。Itstandsbackfromtheroad，andhasanobsequiousretinueoffringedelmsandoaksandweepingwillows。Sometimesinthemorning，andoftenerintheafternoon，whenthesunhaswithdrawnfromthatpartofthemansions，ayoungwomanappearsonthepiazzawithsomemysteriousPenelopewebofembroideryinherhand，orabook。Thereisahammockoverthere——ofpineapplefibre，itlooksfromhere。Ahammockisverybecomingwhenoneiseighteen，andhasgoldenhair，anddarkeyes，andanemerald—coloredillusiondressloopedupafterthefashionofaDresdenchinashepherdess，andischausseelikeabelleofthetimeofLouisQuatorze。Allthissplendorgoesintothathammock，andswaystherelikeapond—lilyinthegoldenafternoon。Thewindowofmybedroomlooksdownonthatpiazza——andsodoI。
Butenoughofthenonsense，whichillbecomesasedateyoungattorneytakinghisvacationwithaninvalidfather。Dropmealine，dearJack，andtellmehowyoureallyare。Stateyourcase。
Writemealong，quiteletter。Ifyouareviolentorabusive，I’lltakethelawtoyou。
III。
JOHNFLEMMINGTOEDWARDDELANEY。
August11，1872。
Yourletter，dearNed，wasagodsend。FancywhatafixIamin——I，whoneverhadaday’ssicknesssinceIwasborn。Myleftlegweighsthreetons。Itisembalmedinspicesandsmotheredinlayersoffinelinen，likeamummy。Ican’tmove。Ihaven’tmovedforfivethousandyears。I’mofthetimeofPharaoh。
Iliefrommorningtillnightonalounge，staringintothehotstreet。Everybodyisoutoftownenjoyinghimself。Thebrown—stone—
fronthousesacrossthestreetresemblearowofparticularlyuglycoffinssetuponend。Agreenmouldissettlingonthenamesofthedeceased，carvedonthesilverdoor—plates。Sardonicspidershavesewedupthekey—holes。Allissilenceanddustanddesolation。——Iinterruptthisamoment，totakeashyatWatkinswiththesecondvolumeofCesarBirotteau。Missedhim！IthinkI
couldbringhimdownwithacopyofSainte—BeuveortheDictionnaireUniversel，ifIhadit。ThesesmallBalzacbookssomehowdonotquitefitmyhand；butIshallfetchhimyet。I’veanideathatWatkinsistappingtheoldgentleman’sChateauYquem。
Duplicatekeyofthewine—cellar。Hibernianswarriesinthefrontbasement。YoungCheopsupstairs，snuginhiscerements。Watkinsglidesintomychamber，withthatcolorless，hypocriticalfaceofhisdrawnoutlonglikeanaccordion；butIknowhegrinsallthewaydownstairs，andisgladIhavebrokenmyleg。WasnotmyevilstarintheveryzenithwhenIranuptotowntoattendthatdinneratDelmonico’s？Ididn’tcomeupaltogetherforthat。ItwaspartlytobuyFrankLivingstone’sroanmareMargot。AndnowIshallnotbeabletositinthesaddlethesetwomonths。I’llsendthemaredowntoyouatThePines——isthatthenameoftheplace？
OldDillonfanciesthatIhavesomethingonmymind。Hedrivesmewildwithlemons。Lemonsforaminddiseased！Nonsense。Iamonlyasrestlessasthedevilunderthisconfinement——athingI’mnotusedto。Takeamanwhohasneverhadsomuchasaheadacheoratoothacheinhislife，straponeofhislegsinasectionofwater—
spout，keephiminaroominthecityforweeks，withthehotweatherturnedon，andthenexpecthimtosmileandpurrandbehappy！Itispreposterous。Ican’tbecheerfulorcalm。
YourletteristhefirstconsolingthingIhavehadsincemydisaster，tendaysago。Itreallycheeredmeupforhalfanhour。
Sendmeascreed，Ned，asoftenasyoucan，ifyouloveme。
Anythingwilldo。Writememoreaboutthatlittlegirlinthehammock。Thatwasverypretty，allthatabouttheDresdenchinashepherdessandthepond—lily；theimageryalittlemixed，perhaps，butverypretty。Ididn’tsupposeyouhadsomuchsentimentalfurnitureinyourupperstory。Itshowshowonemaybefamiliarforyearswiththereception—roomofhisneighbor，andneversuspectwhatisdirectlyunderhismansard。Isupposedyourloftstuffedwithdrylegalparchments，mortgages，andaffidavits；youtakedownapackageofmanuscript，andlo！therearelyricsandsonnetsandcanzonettas。Youreallyhaveagraphicdescriptivetouch，EdwardDelaney，andIsuspectyouofanonymouslove—talesinthemagazines。
IshallbeabearuntilIhearfromyouagain。Tellmeallaboutyourprettyinconnueacrosstheroad。Whatishername？Whoisshe？
Who’sherfather？Where’shermother？Who’sherlover？Youcannotimaginehowthiswilloccupyme。Themoretrifling，thebetter。MyimprisonmenthasweakenedmeintellectuallytosuchadegreethatI
findyourepistolarygiftsquiteconsiderable。Iampassingintomysecondchildhood。InaweekortwoIshalltaketoIndiarubberringsandprongsofcoral。Asilvercup，withanappropriateinscription，wouldbeadelicateattentiononyourpart。Inthemeantime，write！
IV。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August12，1872。
Thesickpashashallbeamused。Bismillah！hewillsitso。Ifthestory—tellerbecomesprolixandtedious——thebow—stringandthesack，andtwoNubianstodrophimintothePiscataqua！Buttruly，Jack，Ihaveahardtask。Thereisliterallynothinghere——exceptthelittlegirlovertheway。Sheisswinginginthehammockatthismoment。Itistomecompensationformanyoftheillsoflifetoseehernowandthenputoutasmallkidboot，whichfitslikeaglove，andsetherselfgoing。Whoisshe，andwhatishername？HernameisDaw。OnlydaughterifMr。RichardW。Daw，ex—colonelandbanker。Motherdead。OnebrotheratHarvard，elderbrotherkilledatthebattleofFairOaks，tenyearsago。Old，richfamily，theDaws。Thisisthehomestead，wherefatheranddaughterpasseightmonthsofthetwelve；therestoftheyearinBaltimoreandWashington。TheNewEnglandwintertoomanyfortheoldgentleman。
ThedaughteriscalledMarjorie——MarjorieDaw。Soundsoddatfirst，doesn’tit？Butafteryousayitovertoyourselfhalfadozentimes，youlikeit。There’sapleasingquaintnesstoit，somethingprimandviolet—like。MustbeanicesortofgirltobecalledMarjorieDaw。
IhadminehostofThePinesinthewitness—boxlastnight，anddrewtheforegoingtestimonyfromhim。HehaschargeofMr。Daw’svegetable—garden，andhasknownthefamilythesethirtyyears。OfcourseIshallmaketheacquaintanceofmyneighborsbeforemanydays。ItwillbenexttoimpossibleformenottomeetMr。DaworMissDawinsomeofmywalks。Theyoungladyhasafavoritepathtothesea—beach。Ishallintercepthersomemorning，andtouchmyhattoher。Thentheprincesswillbendherfairheadtomewithcourteoussurprisenotunmixedwithhaughtiness。Willsnubme，infact。Allthisforthysake，OPashaoftheSnaptAxle—tree！……
Howoddlythingsfallout！TenminutesagoIwascalleddowntotheparlor——youknowthekindofparlorsinfarm—housesonthecoast，asortofamphibiousparlor，withsea—shellsonthemantel—pieceandsprucebranchesinthechimney—place——whereIfoundmyfatherandMr。Dawdoingtheantiquepolitetoeachother。Hehadcometopayhisrespectstohisnewneighbors。Mr。Dawisatall，slimgentlemanofaboutfifty—five，withafloridfaceandsnow—whitemustacheandside—whiskers。LookslikeMr。Dombey，orasMr。DombeywouldhavelookedifhehadservedafewyearsintheBritishArmy。
Mr。Dawwasacolonelinthelatewar，commandingtheregimentinwhichhissonwasalieutenant。Pluckyoldboy，backboneofNewHampshiregranite。Beforetakinghisleave，thecoloneldeliveredhimselfofaninvitationasifhewereissuingageneralorder。
MissDawhasafewfriendscoming，at4p。m。，toplaycroquetonthelawn（parade—ground）andhavetea（coldrations）onthepiazza。
Willwehonorthemwithourcompany？（orbesenttotheguard—
house。）Myfatherdeclinesonthepleaofill—health。Myfather’ssonbowswithasmuchsuavityasheknows，andaccepts。
InmynextIshallhavesomethingtotellyou。Ishallhaveseenthelittlebeautyfacetoface。Ihaveapresentiment，Jack，thatthisDawisararaavis！Keepupyourspirits，myboy，untilI
writeyouanotherletter——andsendmealongwordhow’syourleg。
V。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August13，1872。
Theparty，mydearJack，wasasdrearyaspossible。Alieutenantofthenavy，therectoroftheEpiscopalChurchatStillwater，andasocietyswellfromNahant。Thelieutenantlookedasifhehadswallowedacoupleofhisbuttons，andfoundthebullionratherindigestible；therectorwasapensiveyouth，ofthedaffydowndillysort；andtheswellfromNahantwasaveryweaktidalwaveindeed。
Thewomenweremuchbetter，astheyalwaysare；thetwoMissKingsburysofPhiladelphia，stayingattheSeashellHouse，twobrightandengaginggirls。ButMarjorieDaw！
Thecompanybrokeupsoonaftertea，andIremainedtosmokeacigarwiththecolonelonthepiazza。Itwaslikeseeingapicture，toseeMissMarjoriehoveringaroundtheoldsoldier，anddoingahundredgraciouslittlethingsforhim。Shebroughtthecigarsandlightedthetaperswithherowndelicatefingers，inthemostenchantingfashion。Aswesatthere，shecameandwentinthesummertwilight，andseemed，withherwhitedressandpalegoldhair，likesomelovelyphantomthathadsprungintoexistenceoutofthesmokewreaths。Ifshehadmeltedintoair，likethestatueofGalateaintheplay，Ishouldhavebeenmoresorrythansurprised。
Itwaseasytoperceivethattheoldcolonelworshippedherandshehim。Ithinktherelationbetweenanelderlyfatherandadaughterjustbloomingintowomanhoodthemostbeautifulpossible。Thereisinitasubtilesentimentthatcannotexistinthecaseofmotheranddaughter，orthatofsonandmother。Butthisisgettingintodeepwater。
IsatwiththeDawsuntilhalfpastten，andsawthemoonriseonthesea。Theocean，thathadstretchedmotionlessandblackagainstthehorizon，waschangedbymagicintoabrokenfieldofglitteringice，interspersedwithmarvelloussilveryfjords。InthefardistancetheIsleofShoalsloomeduplikeagroupofhugebergsdriftingdownonus。ThePolarRegionsinaJunethaw！Itwasexceedinglyfine。Whatdidwetalkabout？Wetalkedabouttheweather——andyou！Theweatherhasbeendisagreeableforseveraldayspast——andsohaveyou。Iglidedfromonetopictotheotherverynaturally。Itoldmyfriendsofyouraccident；howithadfrustratedalloursummerplans，andwhatourplanswere。Iplayedquiteaspiritedsoloonthefibula。ThenIdescribedyou；or，rather，Ididn’t。Ispokeofyouramiability，ofyourpatienceunderthissevereaffliction；ofyourtouchinggratitudewhenDillonbringsyoulittlepresentsoffruit；ofyourtendernesstoyoursisterFanny，whomyouwouldnotallowtostayintowntonurseyou，andhowyouheroicallysentherbacktoNewport，preferringtoremainalonewithMary，thecook，andyourmanWatkins，towhom，bytheway，youweredevotedlyattached。Ifyouhadbeenthere，Jack，youwouldn’thaveknownyourself。Ishouldhaveexcelledasacriminallawyer，ifIhadnotturnedmyattentiontoadifferentbranchofjurisprudence。
MissMarjorieaskedallmannerofleadingquestionsconcerningyou。
Itdidnotoccurtomethen，butitstruckmeforciblyafterwards，thatsheevincedasingularinterestintheconversation。WhenI
gotbacktomyroom，Irecalledhoweagerlysheleanedforward，withherfull，snowythroatinstrongmoonlight，listeningtowhatIsaid。Positively，IthinkImadeherlikeyou！
MissDawisagirlwhomyouwouldlikeimmensely，Icantellyouthat。Abeautywithoutaffectation，ahighandtendernature——ifonecanreadthesoulintheface。Andtheoldcolonelisanoblecharacter，too。
IamgladthattheDawsaresuchpleasantpeople。ThePinesisanisolatedspot，andmyresourcesarefew。IfearIshouldhavefoundlifeheresomewhatmonotonousbeforelong，withnoothersocietythanthatofmyexcellentsire。Itistrue，Imighthavemadeatargetofthedefencelessinvalid；butIhaven’tatasteforartillery，moi。
VI。
JOHNFLEMMINGTOEDWARDDELANEY。
August17，1872。
Foramanwhohasn’tatasteforartillery，itoccurstome，myfriend，youarekeepingupaprettylivelyfireonmyinnerworks。
Butgoon。Cynicismisasmallbrassfield—piecethateventuallyburstsandkillstheartilleryman。
Youmayabusemeasmuchasyoulike，andI’llnotcomplain；forI
don’tknowwhatIshoulddowithoutyourletters。Theyarecuringme。Ihaven’thurledanythingatWatkinssincelastSunday，partlybecauseIhavegrownmoreamiableunderyourteaching，andpartlybecauseWatkinscapturedmyammunitiononenight，andcarrieditofftothelibrary。HeisrapidlylosingthehabithehadacquiredofdodgingwheneverIrubmyear，ormakeanyslightmotionwithmyrightarm。Heisstillsuggestiveofthewine—cellar，however。Youmaybreak，youmayshatterWatkins，ifyouwill，butthescentoftheRoedererwillhangroundhimstill。
Ned，thatMissDawmustbeacharmingperson。Ishouldcertainlylikeher。Ilikeheralready。Whenyouspokeinyourfirstletterofseeingayounggirlswinginginahammockunderyourchamberwindow，Iwassomehowstrangelydrawntoher。Icannotaccountforitintheleast。WhatyouhavesubsequentlywrittenofMissDawhasstrengthenedtheimpression。YouseemtobedescribingawomanI
haveknowninsomepreviousstateofexistence，ordreamedofinthis。Uponmyword，ifyouweretosendmeherphotograph，I
believeIshouldrecognizeherataglance。Hermanner，thatlisteningattitude，hertraitsofcharacter，asyouindicatethem，thelighthairandthedarkeyes——theyareallfamiliarthingstome。Askedalotofquestions，didshe？Curiousaboutme？Thatisstrange。
Youwouldlaughinyoursleeve，youwretchedoldcynic，ifyouknewhowIlieawakenights，withmygasturneddowntoastar，thinkingofThePinesandthehouseacrosstheroad。Howcoolitmustbedownthere！Ilongforthesaltsmellintheair。Ipicturethecolonelsmokinghischerootonthepiazza。IsendyouandMissDawoffonafternoonramblesalongthebeach。SometimesIletyoustrollwithherundertheelmsinthemoonlight，foryouaregreatfriendsbythistime，Itakeit，andseeeachothereveryday。I
knowyourwaysandyourmanners！ThenIfallintoatruculentmood，andwouldliketodestroysomebody。HaveyounoticedanythingintheshapeofaloverhangingaroundthecolonelLaresandPenates？Doesthatlieutenantofthehorse—marinesorthatyoungStillwaterparsonvisitthehousemuch？NotthatIampiningfornewsofthem，butanygossipofthekindwouldbeinorder。I
wonder，Ned，youdon’tfallinlovewithMissDaw。Iamripetodoitmyself。Speakingofphotographs，couldn’tyoumanagetosliponeofhercartes—de—visitefromheralbum——shemusthaveanalbum，youknow——andsendittome？Iwillreturnitbeforeitcouldbemissed。That’sagoodfellow！Didthemarearrivesafeandsound？
ItwillbeacapitalanimalthisautumnforCentralPark。
Oh——myleg？Iforgotaboutmyleg。It’sbetter。
VII。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMIMG。
August20，1872。
Youarecorrectinyoursurmises。Iamonthemostfriendlytermswithourneighbors。Thecolonelandmyfathersmoketheirafternooncigartogetherinoursitting—roomoronthepiazzaopposite，andI
passanhourortwoofthedayortheeveningwiththedaughter。I
ammoreandmorestruckbythebeauty，modesty，andintelligenceofMissDaw。
YouaskedmewhyIdonotfallinlovewithher。Iwillbefrank，Jack；Ihavethoughtofthat。Sheisyoung，rich，accomplished，unitinginherselfmoreattractions，mentalandpersonal，thanI
canrecallinanygirlofmyacquaintance；butshelacksthesomethingthatwouldbenecessarytoinspireinmethatkindofinterest。Possessingthisunknownquality，awomanneitherbeautifulnorwealthynorveryyoungcouldbringmetoherfeet。
ButnotMissDaw。Ifwewereshipwreckedtogetheronanuninhabitedisland——letmesuggestatropicalisland，foritcostsnomoretobepicturesque——Iwouldbuildherabamboohut，Iwouldfetchherbread—fruitandcocoanuts，Iwouldfryyamsforher，Iwouldluretheingenuousturtleandmakehernourishingsoups，butIwouldn’tmakelovetoher——notundereighteenmonths。Iwouldliketohaveherforasister，thatImightshieldherandcounselher，andspendhalfmyincomeonoldthreadlaceandcamel’s—hairshawls。（Weareofftheislandnow。）Ifsuchwerenotmyfeeling，therewouldstillbeanobstacletomylovingMissDaw。Agreatermisfortunecouldscarcelybefallmethantoloveher。Flemming，Iamabouttomakearevelationthatwillastonishyou。Imaybeallwronginmypremisesandconsequentlyinmyconclusions；butyoushalljudge。
ThatnightwhenIreturnedtomyroomafterthecroquetpartyattheDaw’s，andwasthinkingoverthetrivialeventsoftheevening，IwassuddenlyimpressedbytheairofeagerattentionwithwhichMissDawhadfollowedmyaccountofyouraccident。IthinkI
mentionedthistoyou。Well，thenextmorning，asIwenttomailmyletter，IovertookMissDawontheroadtoRye，wherethepost—
officeis，andaccompaniedherthitherandback，anhour’swalk。
Theconversationagainturnedtoyou，andagainIremarkedthatinexplicablelookofinterestwhichhadlightedupherfacethepreviousevening。Sincethen，IhaveseenMissDawperhapstentimes，perhapsoftener，andoneachoccasionIfoundthatwhenI
wasnotspeakingofyou，oryoursister，orsomepersonorplaceassociatedwithyou，Iwasnotholdingherattention。Shewouldbeabsent—minded，hereyeswouldwanderawayfrommetothesea，ortosomedistantobjectinthelandscape；herfingerswouldplaywiththeleavesofabookinawaythatconvincedmeshewasnotlistening。AtthesemomentsifIabruptlychangedthetheme——Ididitseveraltimesasanexperiment——anddroppedsomeremarkaboutmyfriendFlemming，thenthesombreblueeyeswouldcomebacktomeinstantly。
Now，isnotthistheoddestthingintheworld？No，nottheoddest。
Theeffectwhichyoutellmewasproducedonyoubymycasualmentionofanunknowngirlswinginginahammockiscertainlyasstrange。YoucanconjecturehowthatpassageinyourletterofFridaystartledme。Isitpossible，than，thattwopeoplewhohavenevermet，andwhoarehundredsofmilesapart，canexertamagneticinfluenceoneachother？Ihavereadofsuchpsychologicalphenomena，butnevercreditedthem。Ileavethesolutionoftheproblemtoyou。Asformyself，allotherthingsbeingfavorable，itwouldbeimpossibleformetofallinlovewithawomanwholistenstomeonlywhenIamtalkingofmyfriend！
Iamnotawarethatanyoneispayingmarkedattentiontomyfairneighbor。Thelieutenantofthenavy——heisstationedatRivermouth——sometimesdropsinofanevening，andsometimestherectorfromStillwater；thelieutenanttheoftener。Hewastherelastnight。I
shouldnotbesurprisedifhehadaneyetotheheiress；butheisnotformidable。MistressDawcarriesaneatlittlespearofirony，andthehonestlieutenantseemstohaveaparticularfacilityforimpalinghimselfonthepointofit。Heisnotdangerous，Ishouldsay；thoughIhaveknownawomantosatirizeamanforyears，andmarryhimafterall。Decidedly，thelowlyrectorisnotdangerous；
yet，again，whohasnotseenClothofFriezevictoriousinthelistswhereClothofGoldwentdown？
Astothephotograph。Thereisanexquisiteivory—typeofMarjorie，inpasse—partout，onthedrawingroommantel—piece。Itwouldbemissedatonceiftaken。Iwoulddoanythingreasonableforyou，Jack；butI’venoburningdesiretobehauledupbeforethelocaljusticeofthepeace，onachargeofpettylarceny。
P。S。——Enclosedisasprayofmignonette，whichIadviseyoutotreattenderly。Yes，wetalkedofyouagainlastnight，asusual。
Itisbecomingalittledrearyforme。
VIII。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August22，1872。
Yourletterinreplytomylasthasoccupiedmythoughtsallthemorning。Idonotknowwhattothink。Doyoumeantosaythatyouareseriouslyhalfinlovewithawomanwhomyouhaveneverseen——
withashadow，achimera？forwhatelsecanMissDawtobeyou？I
donotunderstanditatall。Iunderstandneitheryounorher。YouareacoupleofetherealbeingsmovinginfinerairthanIcanbreathewithmycommonplacelungs。SuchdelicacyofsentimentissomethingthatIadmirewithoutcomprehending。Iambewildered。I
amoftheearthearthy，andIfindmyselfintheincongruouspositionofhavingtodowithmeresouls，withnaturessofinelytemperedthatIrunsomeriskofshatteringtheminmyawkwardness。
IamasCalibanamongthespirits！
Reflectingonyourletter，Iamnotsurethatitiswiseinmetocontinuethiscorrespondence。Butno，Jack；Idowrongtodoubtthegoodsensethatformsthebasisofyourcharacter。YouaredeeplyinterestedinMissDaw；youfeelthatsheisapersonwhomyoumayperhapsgreatlyadmirewhenyouknowher：atthesametimeyoubearinmindthatthechancesaretentofivethat，whenyoudocometoknowher，shewillfallfarshortofyourideal，andyouwillnotcareforherintheleast。Lookatitinthissensiblelight，andI
willholdbacknothingfromyou。
YesterdayafternoonmyfatherandmyselfrodeovertoRivermouthwiththeDaws。Aheavyraininthemorninghadcooledtheatmosphereandlaidthedust。ToRivermouthisadriveofeightmiles，alongawindingroadlinedallthewaywithwildbarberrybushes。Ineversawanythingmorebrilliantthanthesebushes，thegreenofthefoliageandthefaintblushoftheberriesintensifiedbytherain。Thecoloneldrove，withmyfatherinfront，MissDawandIonthebackseat。Iresolvedthatforthefirstfivemilesyournameshouldnotpassmylips。Iwasamusedbytheartfulattemptsshemade，atthestart，tobreakthroughmyreticence。
Thenasilencefelluponher；andthenshebecamesuddenlygay。
ThatkeennesswhichIenjoyedsomuchwhenitwasexercisedonthelieutenantwasnotsosatisfactorydirectedagainstmyself。MissDawhasgreatsweetnessofdisposition，butshecanbedisagreeable。Sheisliketheyoungladyintherhyme，withthecurlonherforehead，\"Whensheisgood，Sheisvery，verygood，Andwhensheisbad，sheishorrid！\"
Ikepttomyresolution，however；butonthereturnhomeI
relented，andtalkedofyourmare！MissDawisgoingtotryaside—
saddleonMargotsomemorning。Theanimalisatrifletoolightformyweight。Bythebye，InearlyforgottosaythatMissDawsatforapictureyesterdaytoaRivermouthartist。Ifthenegativeturnsoutwell，Iamtohaveacopy。Soourendswillbeaccomplishedwithoutcrime。Iwish，though，Icouldsendyoutheivorytypeinthedrawing—room；itiscleverlycolored，andwouldgiveyouanideaofherhairandeyes，whichofcoursetheotherwillnot。
No，Jack，thesprayofmignonettedidnotcomefromme。Amanoftwenty—eightdoesn’tencloseflowersinhisletters——toanotherman。Butdon’tattachtoomuchsignificancetothecircumstance。
Shegivesspraysofmignonettetotherector，spraystothelieutenant。Shehasevengivenarosefromherbosomtoyourslave。
Itisherjocundnaturetoscatterflowers，likeSpring。
Ifmyletterssometimesreaddisjointedly，youmustunderstandthatIneverfinishoneatasitting，butwriteatintervals，whenthemoodisonme。
Themoodisnotonmenow。
IX。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August23，1872。
IhavejustreturnedfromthestrangestinterviewwithMarjorie。
Shehasallbutconfessedtomeherinterestinyou。Butwithwhatmodestyanddignity！HerwordseludemypenasIattempttoputthemonpaper；and，indeed，itwasnotsomuchwhatshesaidashermanner；andthatIcannotreproduce。Perhapsitwasofapiecewiththestrangenessofthiswholebusiness，thatsheshouldtacitlyacknowledgetoathirdpartytheloveshefeelsforamanshehasneverbeheld！ButIhavelost，throughyouraid，thefacultyofbeingsurprised。Iacceptthingsaspeopledoindreams。NowthatI
amagaininmyroom，itallappearslikeanillusion——theblackmassesofRembrandtishshadowunderthetrees，thefireflieswhirlinginPyrrhicdancesamongtheshrubbery，theseaoverthere，Marjoriesittingonthehammock！
Itispastmidnight，andIamtoosleepytowritemore。
ThursdayMorning。
MyfatherhassuddenlytakenitintohisheadtospendafewdaysattheShoals。Inthemeanwhileyouwillnothearfromme。IseeMarjoriewalkinginthegardenwiththecolonel。IwishIcouldspeaktoheralone，butshallprobablynothaveanopportunitybeforeweleave。
X。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August28，1872。
Youwerepassingintoyoursecondchildhood，wereyou？Yourintellectwassoreducedthatmyepistolarygiftsseemedquiteconsiderabletoyou，didthey？Irisesuperiortothesarcasminyourfavorofthe11thinstant，whenInoticethatfivedays’
silenceonmypartissufficienttothrowyouintothedepthsofdespondency。
WereturnedonlythismorningfromAppledore，thatenchantedisland——atfourdollarsperday。Ifindonmydeskthreelettersfromyou！EvidentlythereisnolingeringdoubtinyourmindastothepleasureIderivefromyourcorrespondence。Theselettersareundated，butinwhatItaketobethelatestaretwopassagesthatrequiremyconsideration。Youwillpardonmycandor，dearFlemming，buttheconvictionforcesitselfuponmethatasyourleggrowsstrongeryourheadbecomesweaker。Youaskmyadviceonacertainpoint。Iwillgiveit。InmyopinionyoucoulddonothingmoreunwisethattoaddressanotetoMissDaw，thankingherfortheflower。Itwould，Iamsure，offendherdelicacybeyondpardon。Sheknowsyouonlythroughme；youaretoheranabstraction，afigureinadream——adreamfromwhichthefaintestshockwouldawakenher。
Ofcourse，ifyouencloseanotetomeandinsistonitsdelivery，Ishalldeliverit；butIadviseyounottodoso。
Yousayyouareable，withtheaidofacane，towalkaboutyourchamber，andthatyoupurposetocometoThePinestheinstantDillonthinksyoustrongenoughtostandthejourney。AgainI
adviseyounotto。Doyounotseethat，everyhouryouremainaway，Marjorie’sglamourdeepens，andyourinfluenceoverherincreases？
Youwillruineverythingbyprecipitancy。Waituntilyouareentirelyrecovered；inanycase，donotcomewithoutgivingmewarning。Ifeartheeffectofyourabruptadventhere——underthecircumstances。
MissDawwasevidentlygladtoseeusbackagain，andgavemebothhandsinthefrankestway。Shestoppedatthedooramomentthisafternooninthecarriage；shehadbeenovertoRivermouthforherpictures。Unluckilythephotographerhadspiltsomeacidontheplate，andshewasobligedtogivehimanothersitting。IhaveanintuitionthatsomethingistroublingMarjorie。Shehadanabstractedairnotusualwithher。However，itmaybeonlymyfancy……Iendthis，leavingseveralthingsunsaid，toaccompanymyfatherononeofthoselongwalkswhicharenowhischiefmedicine——andmine！
XI。
EDWARDDELANYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August29，1972。
Iwriteingreathastetotellyouwhathastakenplaceheresincemyletteroflastnight。Iamintheutmostperplexity。Onlyonethingisplain——youmustnotdreamofcomingtoThePines。Marjoriehastoldherfathereverything！Isawherforafewminutes，anhourago，inthegarden；and，asnearasIcouldgatherfromherconfusedstatement，thefactsarethese：LieutenantBradly——that’sthenavalofficerstationedatRivermouth——hasbeenpayingcourttoMissDawforsometimepast，butnotsomuchtoherlikingastothatofthecolonel，whoitseemsisanoldfiendoftheyounggentleman’sfather。Yesterday（Iknewshewasinsometroublewhenshedroveuptoourgate）thecolonelspoketoMarjorieofBradly——urgedhissuit，Iinfer。Marjorieexpressedherdislikeforthelieutenantwithcharacteristicfrankness，andfinallyconfessedtoherfather——well，Ireallydonotknowwhatsheconfessed。Itmusthavebeenthevaguestofconfessions，andmusthavesufficientlypuzzledthecolonel。Atanyrate，itexasperatedhim。IsupposeI
amimplicatedinthematter，andthatthecolonelfeelsbitterlytowardsme。Idonotseewhy：IhavecarriednomessagesbetweenyouandMissDaw；Ihavebehavedwiththegreatestdiscretion。I
canfindnoflawanywhereinmyproceeding。Idonotseethatanybodyhasdoneanything——exceptthecolonelhimself。
Itisprobable，nevertheless，thatthefriendlyrelationsbetweenthetwohouseswillbebrokenoff。\"Aplagueo’bothyourhouses，\"
sayyou。Iwillkeepyouinformed，aswellasIcan，ofwhatoccursovertheway。WeshallremainhereuntilthesecondweekinSeptember。Staywhereyouare，or，atallevents，donotdreamofjoiningme……ColonelDawissittingonthepiazzalookingratherwicked。IhavenotseenMarjoriesinceIpartedwithherinthegarden。
XII。
EDWARDDELANEYTOTHOMASDILLON，M。D。，MADISON
SQUARE，NEWYORK。
August30，1872。
MyDearDoctor：IfyouhaveanyinfluenceoverFlemming，Ibegofyoutoexertittopreventhiscomingtothisplaceatpresent。
Therearecircumstances，whichIwillexplaintoyoubeforelong，thatmakeitofthefirstimportancethatheshouldnotcomeintothisneighborhood。Hisappearancehere，Ispeakadvisedly，wouldbedisastroustohim。InurginghimtoremaininNewYork，ortogotosomeinlandresort，youwillbedoinghimandmearealservice。Ofcourseyouwillnotmentionmynameinthisconnection。Youknowmewellenough，mydeardoctor，tobeassuredthat，inbeggingyoursecretcooperation，Ihavereasonsthatwillmeetyourentireapprovalwhentheyaremadeplaintoyou。Weshallreturntotownonthe15thofnextmonth，andmyfirstdutywillbetopresentmyselfatyourhospitabledoorandsatisfyyourcuriosity，ifI
haveexcitedit。Myfather，Iamgladtostate，hassogreatlyimprovedthathecannolongerberegardedasaninvalid。Withgreatesteem，Iam，etc。，etc。
XIII。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
August31，1872。
Yourletter，announcingyourmaddeterminationtocomehere，hasjustreachedme。Ibeseechyoutoreflectamoment。Thestepwouldbefataltoyourinterestsandhers。YouwouldfurnishjustcauseforirritationtoR。W。D。；and，thoughhelovesMarjoriedevotedly，heiscapableofgoingtoanylengthsifopposed。Youwouldnotlike，Iamconvinced，tobethemeansofcausinghimtotreatherwithseverity。ThatwouldbetheresultofyourpresenceatThePinesatthisjuncture。Iamannoyedtobeobligedtopointoutthesethingstoyou。Weareonverydelicateground，Jack；thesituationiscritical，andtheslightestmistakeinamovewouldcostusthegame。Ifyouconsideritworththewinning，bepatient。
Trustalittletomysagacity。Waitandseewhathappens。Moreover，IunderstandfromDillonthatyouareinnoconditiontotakesolongajourney。Hethinkstheairofthecoastwouldbetheworstthingpossibleforyou；thatyououghttogoinland，ifanywhere。
Beadvisedbyme。BeadvisedbyDillon。
XIV。
TELEGRAMS。
September1，1872。
1。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。
Letterreceived。Dillonbehanged。IthinkIoughttobeontheground。
J。F。
2。—TOJOHNFLEMMING。
Staywhereyouare。Youwouldonlycomplicatedmatters。Donotmoveuntilyouhearfromme。
E。D。
3。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。
MybeingatThePinescouldbekeptsecret。Imustseeher。
J。F。
4。—TOJOHNFLEMMING。
Donotthinkofit。Itwouldbeuseless。R。W。D。haslockedM。inherroom。Youwouldnotbeabletoeffectandinterview。
E。D。
5。—TOEDWARDDELANEY。
Lockedherinherroom。GoodGod。Thatsettlesthequestion。I
shallleavebythetwelve—fifteenexpress。
J。F。
XV。
THEARRIVAL。
OntheseconddayofSeptember，1872，asthedownexpress，dueat3。40，leftthestationatHampton，ayoungman，leaningontheshoulderofaservant，whomheaddressedasWatkins，steppedfromtheplatformintoahack，andrequestedtobedrivento\"ThePines。\"Onarrivingatthegateofamodestfarm—house，afewmilesfromthestation，theyoungmandescendedwithdifficultyfromthecarriage，and，castingahastyglanceacrosstheroad，seemedmuchimpressedbysomepeculiarityinthelandscape。AgainleaningontheshoulderofthepersonWatkins，hewalkedtothedoorofthefarm—houseandinquiredforMr。EdwardDelaney。Hewasinformedbytheagedmanwhoansweredhisknock，thatMr。EdwardDelaneyhadgonetoBostonthedaybefore，butthatMr。JonasDelaneywaswithin。Thisinformationdidnotappearsatisfactorytothestranger，whoinquiredifMr。EdwardDelaneyhadleftanymessageforMr。JohnFlemming。TherewasaletterforMr。Flemmingifhewerethatperson。AfterabriefabsencetheagedmanreappearedwithaLetter。
XVI。
EDWARDDELANEYTOJOHNFLEMMING。
September1，1872。
Iamhorror—strickenatwhatIhavedone！WhenIbeganthiscorrespondenceIhadnootherpurposethantorelievethetediumofyoursick—chamber。Dillontoldmetocheeryouup。Itriedto。I
thoughtthatyouenteredintothespiritofthething。Ihadnoidea，untilwithinafewdays，thatyouweretakingmattersaugrandserieux。
WhatcanIsay？Iaminsackclothandashes。Iamapariah，adogofanoutcast。Itriedtomakealittleromancetointerestyou，somethingsoothingandidyllic，and，byJove！Ihavedoneitonlytoowell！Myfatherdoesn’tknowawordofthis，sodon’tjartheoldgentlemananymorethanyoucanhelp。Iflyfromthewrathtocome——whenyouarrive！Foroh，dearJack，thereisn’tanypiazza，thereisn’tanyhammock——thereisn’tanyMarjorieDaw！