"LAWRENCE FITZ-DAVID."

"Can anybody wish for a plainer answer than that?" Eustace
asked, handing the letter back to me.

"If _I_ had written for information about you," I answered, "it
would have been plain enough for me."

"Is it not plain enough for your uncle?"

"No."

"What does he say?"

"Why need you care to know, my darling?"

"I want to know, Valeria. There must be no secret between us in
this matter. Did your uncle say anything when he showed you the
major's letter?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"My uncle told me that his letter of inquiry filled three pages,
and he bade me observe that the major's answer contained one
sentence only. He said, 'I volunteered to go to Major Fitz-David
and talk the matter over. You see he takes no notice of my
proposal. I asked him for the address of Mr. Woodville's mother.
He passes over my request, as he has passed over my proposal--he