d Alice's letter. He was dressing when it was
first brought to him; and when he recognised the handwriting he put
it down on his toilet table unopened. He put it down, and went on
brushing his hair, as though he were determined to prove to himself
that he was indifferent as to the tidings which it might contain.
He went on brushing his hair, and cleaning his teeth, and tying his
cravat carefully over his turned-down collar, while the unopened
letter lay close to his hand. Of course he was thinking of it,--of
course he was anxious,--of course his eye went to it from moment
to moment. But he carried it with him into the sitting-room still
unopened, and so it remained until after the girl had brought him his
tea and his toast. "And now," said he, as he threw himself into his
arm-chair, "let us see what the girl of my heart says to me." The
girl of his heart said to him as follows:--

MY DEAR GEORGE,

I feel great difficulty in answering your letter. Could I
have my own way, I should make no answer to it at present,
but leave it for the next six months, so that then such
answer might hereafter be made as circumstances should
seem to require. This will be little flattering to you,
but it is less flattering to myself. Whatever answer I may
make, how can anything in this affair be flattering either
to you or to me? We have been like children who have
quarrelled over our game of play, till now, at the close
of our little day of pleasure, we are fain to meet each
other in tears, and acknowledge that we have looked for
delights where no delights were to be found.

Kate, who is here, talks to me of passionate love. There
is no such passion left to me;--nor, as I think, to you
either. It would not now be possible that you and I should
come together on such terms as that. We could not stand
up together as man and wife with any hope of a happy
marriage, unless we had both agreed that such happiness
might be had without passionate love.

You will see from all this that I do not refuse your
offer. Without passion, I have for you a warm affection,
which enables me to take a livelier interest in your
career than in any other of the matters which are around
me. Of course, if I become your wife that interest will be
still closer and dearer, and I do feel that I can take in
it that concern which a wife should have in her husband's
affairs.

If