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such a tender leave of Amelia as became two women who
loved each other as sisters; and having used her handker-
chief plentifully, and hung on her friend’s neck as if they
were parting for ever, and waved the handkerchief (which
was quite dry, by the way) out of window, as the carriage
drove off, she came back to the breakfast table, and ate
some prawns with a good deal of appetite, considering her
emotion; and while she was munching these delicacies, ex-
plained to Rawdon what had occurred in her morning walk
between herself and Briggs. Her hopes were very high: she
made her husband share them. She generally succeeded in
making her husband share all her opinions, whether melan-
choly or cheerful.
‘You will now, if you please, my dear, sit down at the
writing-table and pen me a pretty little letter to Miss Craw-
ley, in which you’ll say that you are a good boy, and that sort
of thing.’ So Rawdon sate down, and wrote off, ‘Brighton,
Thursday,’ and ‘My dear Aunt,’ with great rapidity: but there
the gallant officer’s imagination failed him. He mumbled the
end of his pen, and looked up in his wife’s face. She could
not help laughing at his rueful countenance, and marching
up and down the room with her hands behind her, the little
woman began to dictate a letter, which he took down.
‘Before quitting the country and commencing a cam-
paign, which very possibly may be fatal.’
‘What?’ said Rawdon, rather surprised, but took the hu-
mour of the phrase, and presently wrote it down with a
grin.
‘Which very possibly may be fatal, I have come hither—‘

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