rson,--and that so quickly after the
death of her who loved me so dearly and who was so dear to
me,--is such an affront as I cannot bear and hold up my
head afterwards. I have come to be known as her whom your
uncle trusted and loved, as her whom your wife trusted and
loved,--obscure as I was before;--and as her whom, may I
not say, you yourself trusted? As there was much of honour
and very much of pleasure in this, so also was there
something of misfortune. Friendships are safest when the
friends are of the same standing. I have always felt there
was danger, and now the thing I feared has come home to
me.

Now I will plead my case. I fancy, that when first you
heard that I had been cognisant of your daughter's
engagement, you imagined that I was aware of it before I
went to Matching. Had I been so, I should have been guilty
of that treachery of which you accuse me. I did know
nothing of it till Lady Mary told me on the day before I
left Matching. That she should tell me was natural enough.
Her mother had known it, and for the moment,--if I am
not assuming too much in saying so,--I was filling her
mother's place. But, in reference to you, I could not
exercise the discretion which a mother might have used,
and I told her at once, most decidedly, that you must be
made acquainted with the fact.

Then Lady Mary expressed to me her wish,--not that this
matter should be kept any longer from you, for that it
should be told she was as anxious as I was myself,--but
that it should be told to you by Mr. Tregear. It was not
for me to raise any question as to Mr. Tregear's fitness
or unfitness,--as to which indeed I could know nothing.
All I could do was to say that if Mr. Tregear would make
the communication at once, I should feel that I had done
my duty. The upshot was that Mr. Tregear came to me
immediately on my return to London, and agreeing with me
that it was imperative that you be informed, went to you
and did inform you. In all of that, if I have told the
story truly, where has been my offence? I suppose you will
believe me, but your daughter can give evidence as to
every word that I have written.

I think that you have got it into your mind that I have
befriended Mr. Tregear's suit, and that, having received
this impression, you hold it with the tenacity which is
usual to you. There neve