Even this, he asserted,
was preferable to the world of Dr. Tootle's Academy. Then he dwelt a
little on the contrast between this life of his and that which Maud
was doubtless leading in her home on the Essex coast; and finally he
hoped she would write to him when she found leisure, and be able to
let him know that she was no longer so unhappy as formerly.
This he posted on Friday. On the following Monday morning, the post
brought two letters for him, both addressed in female hand, one
bearing a city, the other a country, post-mark. Waymark smiled as he
compared the two envelopes, on one of which his name stood in firm,
upright characters, on the other in slender, sloping, delicate
writing. The former he pressed to his lips, then tore open eagerly;
it was the promised intimation that Ida would be at home after eight
o'clock on Wednesday and Friday evenings, nothing more. The second
letter he allowed to lie by till he had breakfasted. He could see
that it contained more than one sheet. When at length he opened it,
he read this:--
"DEAR MR. WAYMARK,--I have an hour of freedom this Sunday afternoon, and
I will spend it in replying as well as I can to your very interesting
letter.
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