After all you shall not by any means say that I upset the inkstand on your review in a passion—­because pray mark that the ink has over-run some of your praises, and that if I had been angry to the overthrow of an inkstand, it would not have been precisely there.  It is the second book spoilt by me within these two days—­and my fingers were so dabbled in blackness yesterday that to wring my hands would only have made matters worse.  Holding them up to Mr. Kenyon they looked dirty enough to befit a poetess—­as black ’as bard beseemed’—­and he took the review away with him to read and save it from more harm.

How could it be that you did not get my letter which would have reached you, I thought, on Monday evening, or on Tuesday at the very very earliest?—­and how is it that I did not hear from you last night again when I was unreasonable enough to expect it? is it true that you hate writing to me?

At that word, comes the review back from dear Mr. Kenyon, and the letter which I enclose to show you how it accounts reasonably for the ink—­I did it ‘in a pet,’ he thinks!  And I ought to buy you a new book—­certainly I ought—­only it is not worth doing justice for—­and I shall therefore send it back to you spoilt as it is; and you must forgive me as magnanimously as you can.

’Omne ignotum pro magnifico’—­do you think so?  I hope not indeed! vo quietando—­and everything else that I ought to do—­except of course, that thinking of you which is so difficult.

May God bless you.  Till to-morrow!

Your own always.

Mr. Kenyon refers to ’Festus’—­of which I had said that the fine things were worth looking for, in the design manque.

E.B.B. to R.B.

Friday Morning.
[Post-mark, January 9, 1846.]

You never think, ever dearest, that I ’repent’—­why what a word to use!  You never could think such a word for a moment!  If you were to leave me even,—­to decide that it is best for you to do it, and do it,—­I should accede at once of course, but never should I nor could I ‘repent’ ... regret anything ... be sorry for having known you and loved you ... no!  Which I say simply to prove that, in no extreme case, could I repent for my own sake.  For yours, it might be different.

Not out of ‘generosity’ certainly, but from the veriest selfishness, I choose here, before God, any possible present evil, rather than the future consciousness of feeling myself less to you, on the whole, than another woman might have been.

Oh, these vain and most heathenish repetitions—­do I not vex you by them, you whom I would always please, and never vex?  Yet they force their way because you are the best noblest and dearest in the world, and because your happiness is so precious a thing.

    Cloth of frieze, be not too bold,
    Though thou’rt matched with cloth of gold!