“She was so painfully agitated that I could not venture to plead my own cause as I might otherwise have pleaded it.  At the first attempt I made to touch the personal question, she entreated me to spare her, and abruptly left the room.  I am still ignorant whether I am to interpret the ‘family misfortunes’ which have set up this barrier between us, as meaning the misfortune for which her parents alone are to blame, or the misfortune of her having such a woman as Mrs. Noel Vanstone for her sister.  In whichever of these circumstances the obstacle lies, it is no obstacle in my estimation.  Can nothing remove it?  Is there no hope?  Forgive me for asking these questions.  I cannot bear up against my bitter disappointment.  Neither she, nor you, nor any one but myself, can know how I love her.

“Ever most truly yours,

“GEORGE BARTRAM.

“P.  S.—­I shall leave for England in a day or two, passing through London on my way to St. Crux.  There are family reasons, connected with the hateful subject of money, which make me look forward with anything but pleasure to my next interview with my uncle.  If you address your letter to Long’s Hotel, it will be sure to reach me.”

III.

From Miss Garth to George Bartram.

“Westmoreland House, April 16th.

“DEAR MR. BARTRAM—­You only did me justice in supposing that your letter would distress me.  If you had supposed that it would make me excessively angry as well, you would not have been far wrong.  I have no patience with the pride and perversity of the young women of the present day.

“I have heard from Norah.  It is a long letter, stating the particulars in full detail.  I am now going to put all the confidence in your honor and your discretion which I really feel.  For your sake, and for Norah’s, I am going to let you know what the scruple really is which has misled her into the pride and folly of refusing you.  I am old enough to speak out; and I can tell you, if she had only been wise enough to let her own wishes guide her, she would have said Yes—­and gladly, too.

“The original cause of all the mischief is no less a person than your worthy uncle—­Admiral Bartram.

“It seems that the admiral took it into his head (I suppose during your absence) to go to London by himself and to satisfy some curiosity of his own about Norah by calling in Portland Place, under pretense of renewing his old friendship with the Tyrrels.  He came at luncheon-time, and saw Norah; and, from all I can hear, was apparently better pleased with her than he expected or wished to be when he came into the house.