With regard to his affection for Miss Nowell, I know that he loved her passionately, devotedly, desperately--the strongest expression you can supply to describe a man's folly.

I never saw any fellow so far gone.

Heaven knows, I did my best to argue him out of his fancy--urged your claim, the girl's poverty, every reason against the marriage; but friendly argumentation of that kind goes very little way in such a case.

He took his own course.

It was only when I found the business was decided upon, that I offered him my house in Hampshire; a place to which I never go myself, but which brings me in a decent income in the hands of a clever bailiff.