best courts, and as we crossed over to them she told me she had met
your brother several times last autumn, when she had been staying
near Aldershot. Odd that he never mentioned her here; but I don't
suppose she made much impression on him. She is not at all his
style."

"Did you have much more talk with her?" he asked.

"No, nothing to be called talk. She told me they were leaving
London next week, and she was longing to get back to the country to
her beloved animals--rabbits, poultry, an aviary, and all that kind
of thing. I should gather that they had kept her rather in the
background this season, but I understand that the eldest sister is
to be married in the winter, and then no doubt Miss Freda will be
brought forward."

He seemed wonderfully cheered by this opportune meeting, and though
there was so little to tell he appeared to be quite content. I left
him on Monday in fairly good spirits, and did not come across him
again till September, when his arm was well, and his novel finished
and revised. He never made two copies of his work, and I fancy this
was perhaps because he spent so short a time each day in actual
writing, and lived so continually in his work; moreover, as I said
before, he detested penmanship.

The last part of 'Lynwood' far exceeded my expectations; perhaps--
yet I don't really think so--I viewed it too favourably. But I owed
the book a debt of gratitude, since it certainly helped me through
the worst part of my life.