ole's offer to him. She be his friend! No, indeed; not if there were no
other friend for him in all London.

Sophie, too, had her thoughts about him. Sophie was very anxious in this
matter, and was resolved to stick as close to her Julie as possible. "I
will be his friend or his enemy; let him choose." That had been Sophie's
reflection on the matter when she was left alone.

Ten days after his visit in Mount Street, Harry received the note which
Lady Ongar had written to him on the night of her arrival in London. It
was brought to Mr. Beilby's office by her own footman early in the
morning; but Harry was there at the time, and was thus able to answer
it, telling Lady Ongar that he would come as she had desired. She had
commenced her letter "Dear Harry," and he well remembered that when she
had before written she had called him "Dear Mr. Clavering." And though
the note contained only half-a-dozen ordinary words, it seemed to him to
be affectionate, and almost loving. Had she not been eager to see him,
she would hardly thus have written to him on the very instant of her
return. "Dear Lady Ongar," he wrote, "I shall dine at my club, and be
with you about eight. Yours always, H.C." After that he could hardly
bring himself to work satisfactorily during the whole day. Since his
interview with the Franco-Polish lady he had thought a good deal about
himself and had resolved to work harder and to love Florence Burton more
devotedly than ever. The nasty little woman had said certain words to
him which had caused him to look into his own breast and to tell himself
that this was necessary. As the love was easier than the work, he began
his new tasks on the following morning by writing a long and very
affectionate letter to his own Flo, who was still staying at Clavering
rectory--a letter so long and so affectionate that Florence, in her
ecstasy of delight, made Fanny read it, and confess that, as a
love-letter, it was perfect.

"It's great nonsense, all the same," said Fanny.

"It isn't nonsense at all," said Florence; "and if it were it would not
signify. Is it true? That's the question."

"I'm sure it's true," said Fanny.

"And so am I," said Florence. "I don't want any one to tell me that."

"Then why did you ask, you simpleton?" Florence indeed was having a
happy time of it at Clavering rectory. When Fanny called her a
simpleton, she threw her arms round Fanny's neck and kissed her.

And Harry kept his resolve about the