confounded. He had generally treated me with tenderness and even
deference, and I saw nothing peculiarly petulant or improper in what I had
said.

"Dear sir, forgive me: you know I write to my cousin, and, as he stated
his complaints to me it will be natural to allude to them in my answer to
his letter; but I will only tell him that all difficulties are removed,
and refer him to your letter for further satisfaction; for you will no
doubt write to him."

"I wish you would drop the subject. If you write, you may tell him--but
tell him what you please, or rather it would be best to say nothing on the
subject; but drop the subject, I beseech you."

"Certainly, if the subject displeases you, I will drop it." Here a
pause of mutual embarrassment succeeded, which was, at length, broken by
my father:--

"I will speak to you to-morrow, Jane, on this subject. I grant your
curiosity is natural, and will then gratify it. To-morrow, I may possibly
explain why Risberg has not received what, I must own, he had a right to
expect. We'll think no more of it at present, but play a game at
_draughts_."

I was impatient, you may be sure, to have a second meeting. Next day my
father's embarrassment and perplexity was very evident. It was plain that
he had not forgotten the promised explanation, but that something made it
a very irksome task. I did not suffer matters to remain long in suspense,
but asked him, in direct terms, what had caused the failure of which my
cousin complained, and whether he was hereafter to receive the stipulated