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missed。 That's a good fellow！ Did the mare arrive safe and sound？
It will be a capital animal this autumn for Central Park。
Ohmy leg？ I forgot about my leg。 It's better。
VII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMIMG。
August 20； 1872。
You are correct in your surmises。 I am on the most friendly terms
with our neighbors。 The colonel and my father smoke their afternoon
cigar together in our sitting…room or on the piazza opposite； and I
pass an hour or two of the day or the evening with the daughter。 I
am more and more struck by the beauty； modesty； and intelligence of
Miss Daw。
You asked me why I do not fall in love with her。 I will be frank；
Jack； I have thought of that。 She is young； rich； accomplished；
uniting in herself more attractions； mental and personal； than I
can recall in any girl of my acquaintance； but she lacks the
something that would be necessary to inspire in me that kind of
interest。 Possessing this unknown quality； a woman neither
beautiful nor wealthy nor very young could bring me to her feet。
But not Miss Daw。 If we were shipwrecked together on an uninhabited
islandlet me suggest a tropical island； for it costs no more to
be picturesqueI would build her a bamboo hut； I would fetch her
bread…fruit and cocoanuts； I would fry yams for her； I would lure
the ingenuous turtle and make her nourishing soups； but I wouldn't
make love to hernot under eighteen months。 I would like to have
her for a sister； that I might shield her and counsel her； and
spend half my income on old threadlace and camel's…hair shawls。 （We
are off the island now。） If such were not my feeling； there would
still be an obstacle to my loving Miss Daw。 A greater misfortune
could scarcely befall me than to love her。 Flemming； I am about to
make a revelation that will astonish you。 I may be all wrong in my
premises and consequently in my conclusions； but you shall judge。
That night when I returned to my room after the croquet party at
the Daw's； and was thinking over the trivial events of the evening；
I was suddenly impressed by the air of eager attention with which
Miss Daw had followed my account of your accident。 I think I
mentioned this to you。 Well； the next morning； as I went to mail my
letter； I overtook Miss Daw on the road to Rye； where the post…
office is； and accompanied her thither and back； an hour's walk。
The conversation again turned to you； and again I remarked that
inexplicable look of interest which had lighted up her face the
previous evening。 Since then； I have seen Miss Daw perhaps ten
times； perhaps oftener； and on each occasion I found that when I
was not speaking of you； or your sister； or some person or place
associated with you； I was not holding her attention。 She would be
absent…minded； her eyes would wander away from me to the sea； or to
some distant object in the landscape； her fingers would play with
the leaves of a book in a way that convinced me she was not
listening。 At these moments if I abruptly changed the themeI did
it several times as an experimentand dropped some remark about my
friend Flemming； then the sombre blue eyes would come back to me
instantly。
Now； is not this the oddest thing in the world？ No； not the oddest。
The effect which you tell me was produced on you by my casual
mention of an unknown girl swinging in a hammock is certainly as
strange。 You can conjecture how that passage in your letter of
Friday startled me。 Is it possible； than； that two people who have
never met； and who are hundreds of miles apart； can exert a
magnetic influence on each other？ I have read of such psychological
phenomena； but never credited them。 I leave the solution of the
problem to you。 As for myself； all other things being favorable； it
would be impossible for me to fall in love with a woman who listens
to me only when I am talking of my friend！
I am not aware that any one is paying marked attention to my fair
neighbor。 The lieutenant of the navyhe is stationed at Rivermouth
sometimes drops in of an evening； and sometimes the rector from
Stillwater； the lieutenant the oftener。 He was there last night。 I
should not be surprised if he had an eye to the heiress； but he is
not formidable。 Mistress Daw carries a neat little spear of irony；
and the honest lieutenant seems to have a particular facility for
impaling himself on the point of it。 He is not dangerous； I should
say； though I have known a woman to satirize a man for years； and
marry him after all。 Decidedly； the lowly rector is not dangerous；
yet； again； who has not seen Cloth of Frieze victorious in the
lists where Cloth of Gold went down？
As to the photograph。 There is an exquisite ivory…type of Marjorie；
in passe…partout； on the drawing room mantel…piece。 It would be
missed at once if taken。 I would do anything reasonable for you；
Jack； but I've no burning desire to be hauled up before the local
justice of the peace； on a charge of petty larceny。
P。S。Enclosed is a spray of mignonette； which I advise you to
treat tenderly。 Yes； we talked of you again last night； as usual。
It is becoming a little dreary for me。
VIII。
EDWARD DELANEY TO JOHN FLEMMING。
August 22； 1872。
Your letter in reply to my last has occupied my thoughts all the
morning。 I do not know what to think。 Do you mean to say that you
are seriously half in love with a woman whom you have never seen
with a shadow； a chimera？ for what else can Miss Daw to be you？ I
do not understand it at all。 I understand neither you nor her。 You
are a couple of ethereal beings moving in finer air than I can
breathe with my commonplace lungs。 Such delicacy of sentiment is
something that I admire without comprehending。 I am bewildered。 I
am of the earth earthy； and I find myself in the incongruous
position of having to do with mere souls； with natures so finely
tempered that I run some risk of shattering them in my awkwardness。
I am as Caliban among the spirits！
Reflecting on your letter； I am not sure that it is wise in me to
continue this correspondence。 But no； Jack； I do wrong to doubt the
good sense that forms the basis of your character。 You are deeply
interested in Miss Daw； you feel that she is a person whom you may
perhaps greatly admire when you know her： at the same time you bear
in mind that the chances are ten to five that； when you do come to
know her； she will fall far short of your ideal； and you will not
care for her in the least。 Look at it in this sensible light； and I
will hold back nothing from you。
Yesterday afternoon my father and myself rode over to Rivermouth
with the Daws。 A heavy rain in the morning had cooled the
atmosphere and laid the dust。 To Rivermouth is a drive of eight
miles； along a winding road lined all the way with wild barberry
bushes。 I never saw anything more brilliant than these bushes； the
green of the foliage and the faint blush of the berries intensified
by the rain。 The colonel drove； with my father in front； Miss Daw
and I on the back seat。 I resolved that for the first five miles
your name should not pass my lips。 I was amused by the artful
attempts she made； at the start； to break through my reticence。
Then a silence fell upon her； and t