"I love Willoughby, sincerely love him; and suspicion of his integrity cannot be more painful to yourself than to me.

It has been involuntary, and I will not encourage it.

I was startled, I confess, by the alteration in his manners this morning;--he did not speak like himself, and did not return your kindness with any cordiality.

But all this may be explained by such a situation of his affairs as you have supposed.

He had just parted from my sister, had seen her leave him in the greatest affliction; and if he felt obliged, from a fear of offending Mrs.
Smith, to resist the temptation of returning here soon, and yet aware that by declining your invitation, by saying that he was going away for some time, he should seem to act an ungenerous, a suspicious part by our family, he might well be embarrassed and disturbed.