e to the earl by the same post, saying you have
done so. Tell her in the sweetest way you can, that you cannot live
without seeing her, and getting your _conge_ [39], if _conge_ it is
to be, from her own dear lips; and tell him, in as few words, as you
please, that you mean to do yourself the honour of knocking at his
door on such and such a day--and do it.

[FOOTNOTE 39: conge--(French) dismissal, notice to quit]

By the bye, Kilcullen certainly returns to Ireland immediately.
There's been the devil's own smash among him and the Jews. He has
certainly been dividing money among them; but not near enough, by
all accounts, to satisfy the half of them. For the sake of your
reputation, if not of your pocket, don't let him walk off with the
hundred and thirty thousand pounds. They say it's not a penny less.

Very faithfully yours,

W. BLAKE.

Shall I do anything for you here about Brien? I think I might still
get you eleven to one, but let me hear at once.

As Frank read the first portion of this epistle, his affection for his
poor dear favourite nag returned in full force, and he felt all the
pangs of remorse for having parted with him; but when he came to the
latter part, to Lord Kilcullen's name, and the initials by which his
own Fanny was designated, he forgot all about horse and owner; became
totally regardless of thirteen, eleven, and six to one, and read on
hastily to the end; read it all again--then closed the letter, and
put it in his pocket, and remained for a considerable time in silent
contemplation, trying to make up his mind what he would do.

Nobody was with him as he opened his post-bag, which he took from the
messenger as the boy was coming up to the house; he therefore read his
letter alone, on the lawn, and he continued pacing up and down before
the house with a most perturbed air, for half an hour.

Kilcullen going to marry Fanny Wyndham! So, that was the cause of Lord
Cashel's singular behaviour--his incivility, and refusal to allow Frank
to see his ward. "What! to have arranged it all in twenty-four hours,"
thought Frank to himself; "to have made over his ward's money to his
son, before her brother, from whom she inherited it, was in his grave:
to determine at once to reject an accepted suitor for the sake of
closing on the poor girl's money--and without the slightest regard for
her happiness, without a thought for her welfare! And then, suc