XVI

sation. Reginaldisnevereasyunlesswearebyourselves,andwhentheweatheristolerable,wepacetheshrubberyforhourstogether.Ilikehimonthewholeverywellheiscleverandhasagooddealtosay,butheissometimesimpertinentandtroublesome.Thereisasortofridiculousdelicacyabouthimwhichrequiresthefullestexplanationofwhateverhemayhaveheardtomydisadvantage,andisneversatisfiedtillhethinkshehasascertainedthebeginningandendofeverything.Thisisonesortoflove,butIconfessitdoesnotparticularlyrecommenditselftome.IinfinitelypreferthetenderandliberalspiritofMainwaring,which,impressedwiththedeepestconvictionofmymerit,issatisfiedthatwhateverIdomustberightandlookwithadegreeofcontemptontheinquisitiveanddoubtfulfanciesofthatheartwhichseemsalwaysdebatingonthereasonablenessofitsemotions.Mainwaringisindeed,beyondallcompare,superiortoReginald—superiorineverythingbutthepowerofbeingwithme!Poorfellow!heismuchdistractedbyjealousy,whichIamnotsorryfor,asIknownobettersupportoflove.Hehasbeenteazingmetoallowofhiscomingintothiscountry,andlodgingsomewherenearincog.butIforbadeeverythingofthekind.Thosewomenareinexcusablewhoforgetwhatisduetothemselves,andtheopinionoftheworld. Yoursever, S.VERNON.