Later.  Lest  any  of  my  letters  should  have  been  lost,  I  will
repeat  that  I  wish  the  suit  for  the  recovery  of  Delia's  money
carried  on  to  the  bitter  end.  When  the  entire  sum  has  been
used  up  in  costs,  it  will  be  time  to  stop.  I  have  no  intention
that  Mercer  Bryant  shall  take  his  ease  for  the  rest  of  his
life  by  means  of  the  Stuart  fortune.  Any  compromise  will
be  directly  contrary  to  my  wishes.  To  avert  such  a  thing,
I  should  be  ready  to  send  for  Robert  Courtlandt  and  go
meekly  home  with  him  in  that  canal-worthy  yacht  of  his !


A   LETTER   TO   AUNT   CORDELIA  83

And  you  can  hardly  know  how  I  feel  about  that  when  I  tell
you  that  I  would  rather  teach  here  for  two  winters  than
submit  to  such  a  thing.  You  cannot  know,  because  you
have  never  been  in  Muramna.  And  since  I  have  incau-
tiously suggested  the  idea,  let  me  warn  you  that  I  will  not
make  use  of  Robert  Courtlandt's  yacht.  I  have  made  up
my  mind  now  to  stay  here  for  the  winter ;  I  have  put  my-
self under  contract  to  fulfil  certain  duties ;  and  stay  I  will,
though  all  the  well-chaperoned  steam-yachts  in  the  world
should  lie  at  anchor  just  outside  Muramna  walls  (which
they  couldn't  possibly  do).  So  here  I  am,  let  me  say  in
conclusion,  and  here  will  I  stay  to  the  end  of  the  chapter ;
but  send  me  things  to  read,  and  above  all  things,  write  to
your  stranded  and  slightly  homesick  Jean.
