"By-the-by, that odious young Des Gommeux has followed her here—I make myself disagreeable to him. I cannot do more, Spiridion has never interfered, and 'on ne peut pas être plus royaliste que le roi.' But you will skip all this, or give it to your wife. I know I never read letters myself, so why should I expect you to do so? I am so sorry to hear of Vieille Garde's sprain; it is too vexing for you, just as he was so high in the betting. I hope Sister to Simonides turns out worth all we gave for her. There will be racing here in April, but it would only make you laugh—which would be rude; or swear—which would be worse. So please come long before it."
She folded up her letter, wrote "Pray try and come soon" across the top of it, and directed the envelope to the Earl of Clairvaux, Broomsden, Northampton, and then was provoked to think that she did not want good, clumsy, honest Clairvaux to come at all—not in her heart of hearts, because Clairvaux was always asking questions, and going straight to the bottom of things in his own simple, sturdy fashion, and never
