soldiers for five years before I left home.

{"Grand Louis" = French King Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as
"Louis the Great"}

"Many thanks, dearest Elinor, for the contents of your box; you
cannot doubt but they will accompany your preux chevalier on his
pilgrimage. This Eastern movement has been such a sudden one,
that I have still a thousand things to do, which will oblige me
to make my letter shorter than I wish. Ellsworth is waiting for
me, at this moment. We expect to be gone six, or, possibly, eight
months. I shall write again from Marseilles; and, I hope, the
letter from thence will reach you. Pull Bruno's ears for me, and
don't let him forget his master; which will be one way, my dear,
kind, Elinor, of obliging you to remember that individual also.
Best respects to Mr. Wyllys and Aunt Agnes, with much love for
yourself, dearest Elinor, from

Your affectionate, present and FUTUR,

H. H.

P. S.--Many remembrances for Mrs. Stanley, if she is with you; I
wrote to her last month."

{"preux chevalier" = valiant knight; "FUTUR" = future (French)}



CHAPTER VII.