Again he hesitated; but presently something of his former serenity
seemed to return. "H'm," he went on, "it's a long story and an odd one.
Previous to your engagement, Meredith was here. I wish, instead of lying
across the square in a coffin, he could be here now. However, he came to
see me one day. I happened to mention Usselex's name, and he told me
certain rumors about him. The next afternoon I went to Usselex on the
subject. 'I have already written to you on the matter,' he said; and
sure enough, when I got back here, I found the letter waiting. Would you
like to see it?"

Eden tossed her head. What had the letter to do with her?

"I will read it to you, then."

Mr. Menemon left his chair, went to a safe that stood in a corner,
unlocked it, and after a fumble of a moment, drew out a manuscript,
which he unfolded, and then resumed his former seat.

"It is not very long," he said, apologetically, and he was about to
begin to read it aloud when Eden interrupted him.

"Tell me what is in it, if you must!" she exclaimed; "but spare me his
phrases."

She had risen again and was moving restlessly about the room. Her father
coughed in sheer despair.

"Well, I will tell it to you," he said. "But Eden, do sit down. Do wait
at least until I can give you the gist of what he wrote."

"Go on; go on. Nothing matters now."

Hesitatingly and unencouraged, half to his daughter, and half to some
invisible schoolmaster, whose lesson he might have learned by rote, Mr.
Menemon fluttered the letter and sought some prefatory word.

"You see, Eden," he began, "this was sent me just before he spoke to
you, and just after he had acquainted me of his intentions. You
understand that, do you not?"

"Go on," she repeated.

"Well, from what I had heard, and what he practically substantiates
here, Usselex is a trifle out of the common run. His earliest
recollections are of Cornwall, some manufacturing town there; let me
see--" and the old man fumbled with the letter and with his glasses.
"Yes, yes; Market Dipborough, to be sure. Well, he was brought up there
by his mother, who was of Swiss extraction, and by his father, who was
at the head of a large shoe factory. I say his father and mother;
but--However, he was brought up there. Well, to make a long story short,
it appears that he was given a very good education; his people evidently
were people of some means, and it was expected that he would study for
the bar. He was put at so