For nearly half an hour after that nothing was said in the cottage about the letter. Rachel had perceived that it had not been thought satisfactory by her mother; but then she was inclined to believe that her mother would have regarded no letter as satisfactory until arguments had been used to prove to her that it was so. This, at any rate, was clear,--must be clear to Mrs. Ray as it was clear to Rachel,--that Luke had no intention of shirking the fulfilment of his engagement. And after all, was not that the one thing as to which it was essentially necessary that they should be confident? Had she not accepted Luke, telling him that she loved him? and was it not acknowledged by all around her that such a marriage would be good for her? The danger which they feared was the expectation of such a marriage without its accomplishment. Even the forebodings of Mrs. Prime had shown that this was the evil to which they pointed. Under these circumstances what better could be wished for than a ready, quick, warm assurance on Luke's part, that he did intend all that he had said? With Rachel now, as with all girls under such circumstances, the chief immediate consideration was as to the answer which should be given. Was she to write to him, to write what she pleased; and might she write at once? She felt that she longed to have the pen in her hand, and that yet, when holding it, she would have to think for hours before writing the first word. "Mamma," she said at last, "don't you think it's a good letter?" "I don't know what to think, my dear. I doubt whether any letters of that sort are good for much." "Of what sort, mamma?" "Letters from men who call themselves lovers to young girls. It would be safer, I think, that there shouldn't be any;--very much safer." "But if he hadn't written we should have thought that he had forgotten all about us. That would not have been good. You said yourself that if he did not write soon, there would be an end of everything." "A hundred years ago there wasn't all this writing between young people, and these things were managed better then than they are now, as far as I can understand." "People couldn't write so much then," said Rachel, "because there were no railways and no postage stamps. I suppose I must answer it, mamma?" To this proposition Mrs. Ray made no immediate answer. "Don't you think I ought to answer it, mamma?" "You can't want to write at once." "In the afternoon would do." "In the afternoon! Why should you be in so much hurry, Rachel? It took him four or five days to write to you." "Yes; but he was down in Northamptonshire on business. Besides he hadn't any letter from me to answer. I shouldn't like him to think--" "To think what, Rachel?" "That I had forgotten him." "Psha!" "Or that I didn't treat his letter with respect." "He won't think that. But I must turn it over in my mind; and I believe I ought to ask somebody." "Not Dolly," said Rachel, eagerly.