my happiness and
your own. After what had passed before, you cannot have
thought it right to receive letters from him which I was
not to see, or to write letters to him of which I was
not to know the contents. It must be manifest to you that
such conduct on your part is wrong as judged by any of
the rules by which a wife's conduct can be measured.
And yet you have refused even to say that this shall be
discontinued! I need hardly explain to you that if you
persist in this refusal you and I cannot continue to live
together as man and wife. All my hopes and prospects in
life will be blighted by such a separation. I have not as
yet been able to think what I should do in such wretched
circumstances. And for you, as also for Nora, such a
catastrophe would be most lamentable. Do, therefore, think
of it well, and write me such a letter as may bring me
back to your side.

There is only one friend in the world to whom I could
endure to talk of this great grief, and I have been to
her and told her everything. You will know that I mean
Lady Milborough. After much difficult conversation I
have persuaded her to see you, and she will call in
Curzon Street to-morrow about twelve. There can be no
kinder-hearted, or more gentle woman in the world than
Lady Milborough; nor did any one ever have a warmer friend
than both you and I have in her. Let me implore you then
to listen to her, and be guided by her advice.

Pray believe, dearest Emily, that I am now, as ever, your
most affectionate husband, and that I have no wish so
strong as that we should not be compelled to part.

LOUIS TREVELYAN.

This epistle was, in many respects, a very injudicious composition.
Trevelyan should have trusted either to the eloquence of his own
written words, or to that of the ambassador whom he was about to
despatch; but by sending both he weakened both. And then there were
certain words in the letter which were odious to Mrs. Trevelyan, and
must have been odious to any young wife. He had said that he did not
"as yet" suspect her of having done anything wrong. And then, when
he endeavoured to explain to her that a separation would be very
injurious to herself, he had coupled her sister with her, thus
seeming to imply that the injury to be avoided was of a material
kind. She had better do what he told her, as, otherwise, she and her
sister would not have a roo