"P.  S. — We  are  quite  well,  except  Lady
Jane,  who  has  a  slight  cold,  and  has  been
feverish  for  the  last  day  or  two."

Words  cannot  convey  any  idea  of  the
torrent  of  contending  emotions  under
which  I  perused  this  letter.  The  sudden-
ness of  the  departure,  without  an  oppor-
tunity of  even  a  moment's  leave-taking,
completely  unmanned  me.  What  would  1
nor  have  given  to  be  able  to  see  her  once
more,  even  for  an  instant — to. say  "  a  good-
bye " — to  watch  the  feeling  with  which
she  parted  from  me,  and  augur  from  it
Cither  favorably  to  my  heart's  dearest
hope,  or  darkest  despair.  As  I  continued
to  read  on.  the  kindly  tone  of  the  remain-
der reassured  me  :  and  when  I  came  .to
the  invitation  to  London,  which  plainly
argued  a  wish  on  their  part  to  perpetuate
the  intimacy.  I  was  obliged  to  read  it
again  and  again  before  1  could  convince


38


CHARLES  LEVER'S   WORKS.
myself  of  its  reality.  There  it  was,  how-
ever, most,  distinctly  and  legibly  impressed
in  her  ladyship's  fairest  caligraphy  ;  and
certainly,  great  as  was  its  consequence  to
me  at  the  time,  it  by  no  means  formed  the
principal  part  of  the  communication.
The  two  lines  of  postscript '  contained
more,  far  more  food  for  hopes  and  fears,
than  did  all  the  rest  of  the  epistle.
