neighbor. The lieutenant of the navy--he is stationed at Rivermouth
--sometimes drops in of an evening, and sometimes the rector from
Stillwater; the lieutenant the oftener. He was there last night. I
should not be surprised if he had an eye to the heiress; but he is
not formidable. Mistress Daw carries a neat little spear of irony,
and the honest lieutenant seems to have a particular facility for
impaling himself on the point of it. He is not dangerous, I should
say; though I have known a woman to satirize a man for years, and
marry him after all. Decidedly, the lowly rector is not dangerous;
yet, again, who has not seen Cloth of Frieze victorious in the
lists where Cloth of Gold went down?

As to the photograph. There is an exquisite ivory-type of Marjorie,
in passe-partout, on the drawing room mantel-piece. It would be
missed at once if taken. I would do anything reasonable for you,
Jack; but I've no burning desire to be hauled up before the local
justice of the peace, on a charge of petty larceny.

P.S.--Enclosed is a spray of mignonette, which I advise you to
treat tenderly. Yes, we talked of you again last night, as usual.
It is becoming a little dreary for me.


VIII.

EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING.

August 22, 1872.

Your letter in reply to my last has occupied my thoughts all the