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She had declared that she would be true and firm,
but that she did not wish to draw upon herself the displeasure of her
father and mother. She did not, she said, look upon a clandestine
marriage as a happy resource. But this she added at the end of a long
and very sensible letter: she intended to abide by her engagement, and
she did not intend to go back to the Mandarins. She did not say what
alternative she would choose in the event of her being unable to obtain
her father's consent before his return. She did not suggest what was to
become of her when Sir Marmaduke's leave of absence should be expired.
But her statement that she would not go back to the islands was
certainly made with more substantial vigour, though, perhaps, with less
of reasoning, than any other of the propositions made in her letter.
Then, in her postscript, she told him that they were all going to
Italy. 'Papa and mamma think that we ought to follow poor Mr Trevelyan.
The lawyer says that nothing can be done while he is away with the boy.


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