It contained a warm invitation for him to come
down to Wisbech.
"You say you will be going to Norwich to take possession of your
estate. If you ride direct from Oxford, our place will be but little
out of your way, therefore we shall take no excuse for your not
coming to see us, and shall look for you within a week or so from the
date of this. We were all delighted to get your missive, for although
what you say about infection carried by letters is true enough, and,
indeed there was no post out of London for months, we had begun to
fear that the worst must have befallen you when no letter arrived
from you in December. Still, we thought that you might not know where
we were, and so hoped that you might be waiting until you could find
that out. My father bids me say that he will take no refusal. Since
my return he more than ever regards you as being the good genius of
the family, and it is certainly passing strange that, after saving my
sisters' lives from fire you should, though in so different a way,
have saved me from a similar death. So set off as soon as you get
this--that is, if you can tear yourself away from the gaieties of
Oxford."
Cyril had, indeed, been specially waiting for Sydney's answer, having
told him that he should remain at Oxford until he received it, and on
the following morning he packed his valise and rode for Wisbech,
where he arrived three days' later. His welcome at the Earl's was a
most cordial one. He spent a week there, at the end of which time
Sydney, at his earnest request, started for Norwich with him.
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