Such an extraordinary assumption of age by a girl of nineteen has never been seen in public before, in the whole course of my theatrical experience.
I find myself writing in a lower tone than usual; I miss my own dash of humor.

The fact is, I am depressed about the future.

In the very height of our prosperity my perverse pupil sticks to her trumpery family quarrel.

I feel myself at the mercy of the first whim in the Vanstone direction which may come into her head--I, the architect of her fortunes.

Too bad; upon my soul, too bad.
She has acted already on the inquiries which she forced me to make for her.