The
arrival of Lord Fawn's note just as she was about to write to him was
unfortunate. But she would still write to him, and date her letter before
the time that his was dated. He probably would not believe her date. She
hardly ever expected to be really believed by anybody. But he would have
to read what she wrote; and writing on this pretence, she would avoid the
necessity of alluding to his last letter.
Neither of the notes which she had by her quite suited the occasion, so
she wrote a third. The former letter in which she declined his offer was,
she thought, very charmingly insolent, and the allusion to his lordship's
scullion would have been successful, had it been sent on the moment, but
now a graver letter was required; and the graver letter, the date of
which, it will be observed, was the day previous to the morning on which
she had received Lord Fawn's last note, was as follows:
"HERTFORD ST., Wednesday, April 3.
"MY LORD: I have taken a week to answer the letter which your lordship has
done me the honour of writing to me, because I have thought it best to
have time for consideration in a matter of such importance.
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