You will scarce believe, Jack, that I have lived a week tete a tete, in the midst of a wood, with just the woman I have been describing; a widow extremely my taste, mature, five or six years more so than you say I require, lively, sensible, handsome, without saying one civil thing to her; yet nothing can be more certain.

I could give you powerful reasons for my insensibility; but you are a traitor to love, and therefore have no right to be in any of his secrets.

I will excuse your visits to my sister; as well as I love you myself, I have a thousand reasons for chusing she should not be acquainted with you.

What you say in regard to my mother, gives me pain; I will never take back my little gift to her; and I cannot live in England on my present income, though it enables me to live en prince in Canada.

Adieu!  I have not time to say more.  I have stole this half hour from the loveliest woman breathing, whom I am going to visit:  surely you are infinitely obliged to me.  To lessen the obligation, however, my calash is not yet come to the door.

    Adieu! once more. 
      Yours,
          Ed. Rivers.

LETTER 37.

To Miss Rivers, Clarges Street.

Silleri, Oct. 15.

Our wanderer is returned, my dear, and in such spirits as you can’t conceive:  he passed yesterday with us; he likes to have us to himself, and he had yesterday; we walked a trio in the wood, and were foolish; I have not passed so agreable a day since I came to Canada:  I love mightily to be foolish, and the people here have no taste that way at all:  your brother is divinely so upon occasion.  The weather was, to use the Canadian phrase, superbe et magnifique.  We shall not, I am told, have much more in the same magnifique style, so we intend to make the most of it:  I have ordered your brother to come and walk with us from morning till night; every day and all the day.

The dear man was amazingly overjoyed to see us again; we shared in his joy, though my little Emily took some pains to appear tranquil on the occasion:  I never saw more pleasure in the countenances of two people in my life, nor more pains taken to suppress it.

Do you know Fitzgerald is really an agreable fellow?  I have an admirable natural instinct; I perceived he had understanding, from his aquiline nose and his eagle eye, which are indexes I never knew fail.  I believe we are going to be great; I am not sure I shall not admit him to make up a partie quarree with your brother and Emily:  I told him my original plot upon him, and he was immensely pleased with it.  I almost fancy he can be foolish; in that case, my business is done:  if with his other merits he has that, I am a lost woman.

He has excellent sense, great good nature, and the true princely spirit of an Irishman:  he will be ruined here, but that is his affair, not mine.  He changed quarters with an officer now at Montreal; and, because the lodgings were to be furnished, thought himself obliged to leave three months wine in the cellars.