The next day I, not being at dinner, saw him not till night; then he came into my chamber, where I supped but he did not.  Afterwards Mr. Gibson and he and I talked of indifferent things till all but we two went to bed.  Then he sat half-an-hour and said not one word, nor I to him.  At last, in a pitiful tone, “Sister,” says he, “I have heard you say that when anything troubles you, of all things you apprehend going to bed, because there it increases upon you, and you lie at the mercy of all your sad thought, which the silence and darkness of the night adds a horror to; I am at that pass now.  I vow to God I would not endure another night like the last to gain a crown.”  I, who resolved to take no notice what ailed him, said ’twas a knowledge I had raised from my spleen only, and so fell into a discourse of melancholy and the causes, and from that (I know not how) into religion; and we talked so long of it, and so devoutly, that it laid all our anger.  We grew to a calm and peace with all the world.  Two hermits conversing in a cell they equally inhabit, ne’er expressed more humble, charitable kindness, one towards another, than we.  He asked my pardon and I his, and he has promised me never to speak of it to me whilst he lives, but leave the event to God Almighty; until he sees it done, he will always be the same to me that he is; then he shall leave me, he says, not out of want of kindness to me, but because he cannot see the ruin of a person that he loves so passionately, and in whose happiness he has laid up all his.  These are the terms we are at, and I am confident he will keep his word with me, so that you have no reason to fear him in any respect; for though he should break his promise, he should never make me break mine.  No, let me assure you this rival, nor any other, shall ever alter me, therefore spare your jealousy, or turn it all into kindness.

I will write every week, and no miss of letters shall give us any doubts of one another.  Time nor accidents shall not prevail upon our hearts, and, if God Almighty please to bless us, we will meet the same we are, or happier.  I will do all you bid me.  I will pray, and wish, and hope, but you must do so too, then, and be so careful of yourself that I may have nothing to reproach you with when you come back.

That vile wench lets you see all my scribbles, I believe; how do you know I took care your hair should not be spoiled?  ’Tis more than e’er you did, I think, you are so negligent on’t, and keep it so ill, ’tis pity you should have it.  May you have better luck in the cutting it than I had with mine.  I cut it two or three years agone, and it never grew since.  Look to it; if I keep the lock you give me better than you do all the rest, I shall not spare you; expect to be soundly chidden.  What do you mean to do with all my letters?  Leave them behind you?  If you do, it must be in safe hands, some of them concern you, and me, and other people besides us very much, and they will almost load a horse to carry.