I hope you will see, my dear Cecil, that it would be
indeed wise if you could take her advice and put her out of your
mind. I fear that, as she says, she has given me all the love of
which she is capable.

From this point the letter ran on in the same hand, but in another
vein.

So far, dear coz, I've written according to my revered father's
words. You know I'm the only scholar in the family. The pen fits
his hand but sadly, while every implement of love and war rests
easily in mine. With the foils I---- But, alas and alack, you
care not for tales of that sort. I hear you say: "Fie, fie, Ju!
Why play with a man's toys?" To return to the subject in hand.
Will you put me quite out of your mind and thoughts? Can you? If
so, I pray you do so. For I love you not at all. 'Tis so absurd
of you to want to marry the little red-haired termagant you used
to play with. And believe me, I'm naught now save a big
red-haired termagant. And I love you not one whit more than I
did in the old days when I used to hate you. Perhaps 'twould be
folly to say that I never will love you. I might meet you
somewhere, at some odd chance, and find that you were the man
for my inmost heart. And at that same meeting you might find
that you loved me not at all. You think, doubtless, that I know
nothing of love, and yet I do know that it lies all in the
chance of meeting. If I might meet you in my mood of to-day I'd
hate you, whereas to-morrow I might love you. To defend myself
against my father's charges I'll not try. Yet why should I not
ride alone? And am I alone with my beloved Star? Ay, even though
it is only a black star between two starry eyes blacker than
night? Why should I not have stripped my father's name and rank
from my horse's trappings when I go abroad? Suppose I should
join the play actors--and they do tempt me sorely--why should my
father's name and rank be known and defamed? And, truly, I grant
you, I'm as likely to join the play actors as to enter a
nunnery, the one as the other and the other as the one. Both
draw me strangely, and I'm likelier to do either than to marry
you. Here's my hand and seal on that, or, rather, here's my hand
and a kiss, for a kiss is more binding than a seal. And now for
the last word--will you put me out of your mind? Or will you
wait for that chance meeting?