and haggard he looked, even in the fulness of his handsome youth!

My mission was quite fruitless.

"No, Dame Durden! Two subjects I forbid. The first is John Jarndyce. The
second, you know what. Call it madness, and I tell you I can't help it
now, and can't be sane. But it is no such thing; it is the one object I
have to pursue."

He went on to tell me that it was impossible to remain a soldier; that,
apart from debts and duns, he took no interest in his employment and was
not fit for it. He showed me papers to prove that his retirement was
arranged. Knowing I had done no good by coming down, I prepared to
return to London on the morrow.

There was some excitement in the town by reason of the arrival of a big
Indiaman, and, as it happened, amongst those who came on shore from the
ship was Mr. Allan Woodcourt. I met him in the hotel where I was
staying, and he seemed quite pleased to see me. He was glad to meet
Richard again, too, and promised, on my asking him, to befriend Richard
in London.


_IV.--End of Jarndyce and Jarndyce_


Richard always declared that it was Ada he meant to see righted, no less
than himself, and his anxiety on that point so impressed Mr. Woodcourt
that he told me about it. It revived a fear I had had before, that my
dear girl's little property might be absorbed by Mr. Vholes, and that