y that Mr Brehgert would under any
circumstances be anxious to go back from his engagement. She so fully
recognised her own value as a Christian lady of high birth and
position giving herself to a commercial Jew, that she thought that
under any circumstances Mr Brehgert would be only too anxious to stick
to his bargain. Nor had she any idea that there was anything in her
letter which could probably offend him. She thought that she might at
any rate make good her claim to the house in London; and that as there
were other difficulties on his side, he would yield to her on this
point. But as yet she hardly knew Mr Brehgert. He did not lose a day
in sending to her a second letter. He took her letter with him to his
office in the city, and there he answered it without a moment's delay.

No. 7, St. Cuthbert's Court, London,
Tuesday, July 16, 18--.

MY DEAR MISS LONGESTAFFE,

You say it would be very disagreeable to you to quarrel with
your papa and mamma; and as I agree with you, I will take your
letter as concluding our intimacy. I should not, however, be
dealing quite fairly with you or with myself if I gave you to
understand that I felt myself to be coerced to this conclusion
simply by your qualified assent to your parents' views. It is
evident to me from your letter that you would not wish to be my
wife unless I can supply you with a house in town as well as
with one in the country. But this for the present is out of my
power. I would not have allowed my losses to interfere with your
settlement because I had stated a certain income; and must
therefore to a certain extent have compromised my children. But
I should not have been altogether happy till I had replaced them
in their former position, and must therefore have abstained from
increased expenditure till I had done so. But of course I have
no right to ask you to share with me the discomfort of a single
home. I may perhaps add that I had hoped that you would have
looked to your happiness to another source, and that I will bear
my disappointment as best I may.

As you may perhaps under these circumstances be unwilling that I
should wear the ring you gave me, I return it by post. I trust
you will be good enough to keep the trifle you were pleased to
accept from me, in remembrance of one who will always wish you
well.

Yours sincerely,

EZEKIEL BREHGERT.

And so it was al