But when the information had been obtained, it was
expedient that it should be used; and therefore Colonel Osborne wrote
the following letter:--

Acrobats Club, July 31, 186--.

DEAR EMILY,

Twice the Colonel wrote Dearest Emily, and twice he tore the sheet on
which the words were written. He longed to be ardent, but still it
was so necessary to be prudent! He was not quite sure of the lady.
Women sometimes tell their husbands, even when they have quarrelled
with them. And, although ardent expressions in writing to pretty
women are pleasant to male writers, it is not pleasant for a
gentleman to be asked what on earth he means by that sort of thing at
his time of life. The Colonel gave half an hour to the consideration,
and then began the letter, Dear Emily. If prudence be the soul
of valour, may it not be considered also the very mainspring, or,
perhaps, the pivot of love?

DEAR EMILY,

I need hardly tell you with what dismay I have heard of
all that has taken place in Curzon Street. I fear that you
must have suffered much, and that you are suffering now.
It is an inexpressible relief to me to hear that you have
your child with you, and Nora. But, nevertheless, to
have your home taken away from you, to be sent out of
London, to be banished from all society! And for what?
The manner in which the minds of some men work is quite
incomprehensible.

As for myself, I feel that I have lost the company of
a friend, whom indeed I can very ill spare. I have a
thousand things to say to you, and among them one or
two which I feel that I must say,--that I ought to say.
As it happens, an old schoolfellow of mine is Vicar of
Cockchaffington, a village which I find by the map is
very near to Nuncombe Putney. I saw him in town last
spring, and he then asked me to pay him a visit. There is
something in his church which people go to see, and though
I don't understand churches much, I shall go and see it.
I shall run down on Wednesday, and shall sleep at the inn
at Lessboro'. I see that Lessboro' is a market town, and
I suppose there is an inn. I shall go over to my friend on
the Thursday, but shall return to Lessboro'. Though a man
be ever so eager to see a church door-way, he need not
sleep at the parsonage. On the following day, I will get
over to Nuncombe Putney, and I hope that you will see me.
Considering my long friendship wi