whatever means; even by the worst, as they would seem to me.  Well—­it was bad news to hear of the increase of pain; for the amendment was a ‘passing show’ I fear, and not caused even by thoughts of mine or it would have appeared before; while on the other side (the sunny side of the way) I heard on that same yesterday, what made me glad as good news, a whole gospel of good news, and from you too who profess to say ‘less than nothing,’ and that was that ’the times seemed longer to you’:—­do you remember saying it?  And it made me glad ... happy—­perhaps too glad and happy—­and surprised:  yes, surprised!—­for if you had told me (but you would not have told me) if you had let me guess ... just the contrary, ... ’that the times seemed shorter,’ ... why it would have seemed to me as natural as nature—­oh, believe me it would, and I could not have thought hardly of you for it in the most secret or silent of my thoughts.  How am I to feel towards you, do you imagine, ... who have the world round you and yet make me this to you?  I never can tell you how, and you never can know it without having my heart in you with all its experiences:  we measure by those weights.  May God bless you! and save me from being the cause to you of any harm or grief!...  I choose it for my blessing instead of another.  What should I be if I could fail willingly to you in the least thing?  But I never will, and you know it.  I will not move, nor speak, nor breathe, so as willingly and consciously to touch, with one shade of wrong, that precious deposit of ‘heart and life’ ... which may yet be recalled.

And, so, may God bless you and your

E.B.B.

Remember to say how you are.

I sent ’Pomfret’—­and Shelley is returned, and the letters, in the same parcel—­but my letter goes by the post as you see.  Is there contrast enough between the two rival female personages of ‘Pomfret.’ I fancy not.  Helena should have been more ‘demonstrative’ than she appeared in Italy, to secure the ‘new modulation’ with Walter.  But you will not think it a strong book, I am sure, with all the good and pure intention of it.  The best character ... most life-like ... as conventional life goes ... seems to me ‘Mr. Rose’ ... beyond all comparison—­and the best point, the noiseless, unaffected manner in which the acting out of the ‘private judgment’ in Pomfret himself is made no heroic virtue but simply an integral part of the love of truth.  As to Grace she is too good to be interesting, I am afraid—­and people say of her more than she expresses—­and as to ‘generosity,’ she could not do otherwise in the last scenes.

But I will not tell you the story after all.

At the beginning of this letter I meant to write just one page; but my generosity is like Grace’s, and could not help itself.  There were the letters to write of, and the verses! and then, you know, ’femme qui parle’ never has done. Let me hear! and I will be as brisk as a monument next time for variety.