CHAPTER XLIII

ItwaspresumedthatMr.Crawfordwastravellingback,toLondon,onthemorrow,fornothingmorewasseenofhimatMr.Price’sandtwodaysafterwards,itwasafactascertainedtoFannybythefollowingletterfromhissister,openedandreadbyher,onanotheraccount,withthemostanxiouscuriosity:— “Ihavetoinformyou,mydearestFanny,thatHenryhasbeendowntoPortsmouthtoseeyouthathehadadelightfulwalkwithyoutothedockyardlastSaturday,andonestillmoretobedweltonthenextday,ontherampartswhenthebalmyair,thesparklingsea,andyoursweetlooksandconversationwerealtogetherinthemostdeliciousharmony,andaffordedsensationswhicharetoraiseecstasyeveninretrospect.This,aswellasIunderstand,istobethesubstanceofmyinformation.Hemakesmewrite,butIdonotknowwhatelseistobecommunicated,exceptthissaidvisittoPortsmouth,andthesetwosaidwalks,andhisintroductiontoyourfamily,especiallytoafairsisterofyours,afinegirloffifteen,whowasofthepartyontheramparts,takingherfirstlesson,Ipresume,inlove.Ihavenottimeforwritingmuch,butitwouldbeoutofplaceifIhad,forthisistobeamereletterofbusiness,pennedforthepurposeofconveyingnecessaryinformation,whichcouldnotbedelayedwithoutriskofevil.Mydear,dearFanny,ifIhadyouhere,howIwouldtalktoyou!Youshouldlistentometillyouweretired,andadvisemetillyouwerestilltiredmorebutitisimpossibletoputahundredthpartofmygreatmindonpaper,soIwillabstainaltogether,andleaveyoutoguesswhatyoulike.Ihavenonewsforyou.Youhavepolitics,ofcourseanditwouldbetoobadtoplagueyouwiththenamesofpeopleandpartiesthatfillupmytime.Ioughttohavesentyouanaccountofyourcousin’sfirstparty,butIwaslazy,andnowitistoolongagosufficeit,thateverythingwasjustasitoughttobe,inastylethatanyofherconnexion