But he does not ask it of you, the callous Pagan!  Despise him, if you please, and rank with the Countess, who despises him most heartily.  Dipping further into the secrets of the post, we discover a brisk correspondence between Juliana Bonner and Mrs. Strike.

‘A thousand thanks to you, my dear Miss Bonner,’ writes the latter lady.  ’The unaffected interest you take in my brother touches me deeply.  I know him to be worthy of your good opinion.  Yes, I will open my heart to you, dearest Juliana; and it shall, as you wish, be quite secret between us.  Not to a soul!

’He is quite alone.  My sisters Harriet and Louisa will not see him, and I can only do so by stealth.  His odd other little friend sometimes drives me out on Sundays, to a place where I meet him; and the Duke of Belfield kindly lends me his carriage.  Oh, that we might never part!  I am only happy with him!

’Ah, do not doubt him, Juliana, for anything he does!  You say, that now the Duke has obtained for him the Secretaryship to my husband’s Company, he should not thing, and you do not understand why.  I will tell you.  Our poor father died in debt, and Evan receives money which enables him by degrees to liquidate these debts, on condition that he consents to be what I dislike as much as you can.  He bears it; you can have no idea of his pride!  He is too proud to own to himself that it debases him—­too proud to complain.  It is a tangle—­a net that drags him down to it but whatever he is outwardly, he is the noblest human being in the world to me, and but for him, oh, what should I be?  Let me beg you to forgive it, if you can.  My darling has no friends.  Is his temper as sweet as ever?  I can answer that.  Yes, only he is silent, and looks—­when you look into his eyes—­colder, as men look when they will not bear much from other men.

’He has not mentioned her name.  I am sure she has not written.

‘Pity him, and pray for him.’

Juliana then makes a communication, which draws forth the following:—­

’Mistress of all the Beckley property-dearest, dearest Juliana!  Oh! how sincerely I congratulate you!  The black on the letter alarmed me so, I could hardly open it, my fingers trembled so; for I esteem you all at Beckley; but when I had opened and read it, I was recompensed.  You say you are sorry for Rose.  But surely what your Grandmama has done is quite right.  It is just, in every sense.  But why am I not to tell Evan?  I am certain it would make him very happy, and happiness of any kind he needs so much!  I will obey you, of course, but I cannot see why.  Do you know, my dear child, you are extremely mysterious, and puzzle me.  Evan takes a pleasure in speaking of you.  You and Lady Jocelyn are his great themes.  Why is he to be kept ignorant of your good fortune?  The spitting of blood is bad.  You must winter in a warm climate.  I do think that London is far better for you in the late Autumn than Hampshire.  May I ask my sister Harriet to invite you to reside with her for some weeks?  Nothing, I know, would give her greater pleasure.’