MY DEAR DUKE,--As you only acknowledge in yours of the 13th, two letters, I beg to say there were addressed to you by yesterday, three; One, written on Thursday, another on Friday and the last on Saturday. And I take this opportunity of making two enquiries respecting which my mind is not at all satisfied. The first is; Why I am to receive a change of style in the appearance of your letters with regard to the Seal thereof? and the next, _called forth thereby_; _Why_ you _ever_ ceased to sign your _Name_ at the conclusion of your letters? If either of these changes sprang from disrespect or want of confidence in my integrity, confidence, Christianity and friendship, I shall without hesitation or delay return Your Grace every letter I have in my possession, as in _that_ case they will cease to have any value in _my_ estimation. I will also beg to decline all further intercourse, knowing that the sincerity and purity of my friendship merits both consideration and respect. You will perhaps wonder at my noticing your omission with regard to Signature after the receipt of so many letters. I should not have done so, however incomprehensible the same may have been and _was_ to me, had not _this additional_ circumstance tended to _strengthen_ a momentary feeling experienced when your first letter signed W. reached me. But this I overcame, fancying you were in the _habit_ of doing so to all your correspondents of any and every rank, and imagining you superior to the _capability_ of taking advantage of circumstances. If I am mistaken with regard to this being a _general habit_, I am _justified_ in asking--Why such an unwarrantable liberty was taken with me? I assure you that however great my affection may be, it is not of a nature to submit to ANY feeling that is not accompanied with the _deepest respect_ as well as esteem, nor could the latter be either durable or _acceptable_ under OTHER circumstances. Waiting your reply before I can decide what further line of conduct to pursue, praying in the mean time to be directed BY HIM Who knows _all_ the _secret_, hidden motives of the human heart without exception, I inscribe myself, Your sincere Christian friend, A. J. P.S. Since writing the above, my antipathy to the omission of _either_ your NAME OR seal is so _increased_ that I beg to decline receiving _any_ letter which does not bring with it _these_ marks of DUE respect. Not satisfied with sending off this letter, Miss J. followed it with another no less severe. In her Diary she describes the feelings that swayed her while she awaited a reply to her missives: