r for me, and please forgive me if you can.
Just at the moment I must seem (as well as ungracious) a little
mysterious, not because I want to be mysterious, but because it is
forced on me by circumstances. I hate it, and soon I hope I shall
be able to be as frank and open with you as I was at first, when I
saw how good you were about taking an interest in my sister Saidee.
I think, as far as I can see ahead, I may write to you in a
fortnight. Then, I shall have news to tell, the _best of news_, I
hope; and I won't need to keep anything back. By that time I may
tell you all that has happened, since bidding you and Mr. Caird
good-bye, at the door of his beautiful house, and all that will
have happened by the time I can begin the letter. How I wish it
were now!

"There's just one more word I want to say, that I really can say
without doing harm to anybody or to any plan. It's this. I did feel
so guilty when you talked about your motoring with Mr. Caird to
Tlemcen. It was splendid of you both to be willing to go, and you
must have thought me cold and half-hearted about it. But I couldn't
tell you what was in my mind, even then. I didn't know what was
before me; but there was already a thing which I had to keep from
you. It was only a small thing. But now it has grown to be a very
big one.

"Good-bye, my dear friend Mr. Knight. I like to call you my friend,
and I shall always remember how good you were to me, if, for any
reason, we should never see each other again. It is very likely we
may not meet, for I don't know how long you are going to stay in
Africa, or how long I shall stay, so it may be that you will go
back to England soon. I don't suppose I shall go there. When I can
leave this country it will be to sail for America with my
sister--_never without her_. But I shall write, as I said, in a
fortnight, if all is well--indeed, I shall write whatever happens.
I shall be able to give you an address, too, I hope very much,
because I should like to hear from you. And I shall pray that you
may always be happy.

"I meant this to be quite a short letter, but after all it is a
long one! Good-bye again, and give my best remembrances to Lady
MacGregor and Mr. Caird, if they are not disgusted with me for the
way I am behaving. Gratefully your fr