"I imbrace this favurible oportunaty of adresing you for I considur it my duty to take up my pen and inform you about my master, _He's not long for this world_, Mr. Thomas I know it by good tokens which I don't write not being an easy writer but they are none the less true, The master's fretting his life away because he is not at home and she is keeping him because she's timorus of the fever. But you saw how it was sir when you were here and it's the same story still. There'd have been a fight for it with my lady but if I'd been you Mr. Thomas I'd have took him also when me and the young ladies went with you to Prior's Ash. When I got back here, sir I saw an awful change in him and Mr. George he saw it but my lady didn't. I pen these lines sir to say you had better come off at once and not wait for it to be nearer Christmas, The poor master is always saying _Thomas is coming for me, Thomas is coming for me_ but I'd not answer for it now that he will ever get back alive, Sir it was the worst day's work he ever did to go away at all from Ashlydyat if my lady was dying to live at the new Folly place she might have gone to it but not him, When we do a foolish wrong thing we don't think of the consekences at the time at least not much of em but we think all the more after and fret our hearts out with blame and it have been slowly killing him ever since, I am vexed to disturb you Mr. Thomas with this epistle for I know you must be in enough grief of your own just now. "Your humble servant, "MARGERY." Thomas Godolphin read it over twice, and then crossed to the opposite side of the private room, where sat a gentleman at another desk. A tall, portly man, with a fresh colour, large, keen dark eyes, and hair white as snow. It was Mr. Crosse. "Anything particular, Thomas?" he asked, as Thomas Godolphin put the letter into his hand. "Not in business. Read it, will you?" Mr. Crosse read the letter through. "Is it my advice you wish for?" asked he, when he came to the last word. "Not exactly," replied Thomas Godolphin. "I have made up my mind, I believe." "To go immediately?" "Yes. Within an hour." "Right. It is what I should have recommended you to do, had you been undecided. When it comes to letter-writing with Margery, the thing is serious, rely upon it." And within the hour Thomas Godolphin had started.