Henry and I can only stay at home to pray that her preposterous mania will wear itself out in short order, as she will find herself unfitted for the ridiculous task which she insists upon attempting against the earnest wishes of us who have been more than father and mother to her.

Of course, she has talked volumes of her affection for us, and of her gratitude, which we do not want--we only want her to stay with us.

Please, please try to make her come back to us--we cannot bear it long.

If you are a man you will send her to us soon.

Her excuse for not returning on the day we wired our intention to go abroad at once (and I may as well tell you now that our intention to go was formed in order to bring affairs to a crisis and to draw her away from your influence--we always dreaded her visit to you and held it off for years)--her excuse was that your best friend, and, as I understand it, your patron, had been injured in some brawl in that Christian country of yours--a charming place to take a girl like her--and she would not leave you in your 'distress' until more was known of the man's injuries.