“How is my unfortunate wife?  I am afraid you find it quite impossible to keep her up at heel, or to mold her personal appearance into harmony with the eternal laws of symmetry and order.  Does she attempt to be too familiar with you?  I have always been accustomed to check her, in this respect.  She has never been permitted to call me anything but Captain; and on the rare occasions since our union, when circumstances may have obliged her to address me by letter, her opening form of salutation has been rigidly restricted to ‘Dear Sir.’  Accept these trifling domestic particulars as suggesting hints which may be useful to you in managing Mrs. Wragge; and believe me, in anxious expectation of hearing from you again,

“Devotedly yours,

“HORATIO WRAGGE.”

III.

From Norah to Magdalen.

[Forwarded, with the Two Letters that follow it, from the Post-office, Birmingham.]

“Westmoreland House, Kensington, July 1st.

“MY DEAREST MAGDALEN—­When you write next (and pray write soon!) address your letter to me at Miss Garth’s.  I have left my situation; and some little time may elapse before I find another.

“Now it is all over I may acknowledge to you, my darling, that I was not happy.  I tried hard to win the affection of the two little girls I had to teach; but they seemed, I am sure I can’t tell why, to dislike me from the first.  Their mother I have no reason to complain of.  But their grandmother, who was really the ruling power in the house, made my life very hard to me.  My inexperience in teaching was a constant subject of remark with her; and my difficulties with the children were always visited on me as if they had been entirely of my own making.  I tell you this, so that you may not suppose I regret having left my situation.  Far from it, my love—­I am glad to be out of the house.

“I have saved a little money, Magdalen; and I should so like to spend it in staying a few days with you.  My heart aches for a sight of my sister; my ears are weary for the sound of her voice.  A word from you telling me where we can meet, is all I want.  Think of it—­pray think of it.

“Don’t suppose I am discouraged by this first check.  There are many kind people in the world; and some of them may employ me next time.  The way to happiness is often very hard to find; harder, I almost think, for women than for men.  But if we only try patiently, and try long enough, we reach it at last—­in heaven, if not on earth.  I think my way now is the way which leads to seeing you again.  Don’t forget that, my love, the next time you think of

“NORAH.”

IV.

From Miss Garth to Magdalen.

“Westmoreland House, July 1st.

“MY DEAR MAGDALEN—­You have no useless remonstrances to apprehend at the sight of my handwriting.  My only object in this letter is to tell you something which I know your sister will not tell you of her own accord.  She is entirely ignorant that I am writing to you.  Keep her in ignorance, if you wish to spare her unnecessary anxiety, and me unnecessary distress.