164
WYLDER'S HAJVZ).
reason to complain of me, and the world will not spare me
either; but I have quite made up my mind, and nothing
can ever change me; all is over between me and Mr. Wyl-
der — quite over — for ever."
"Upon my life, young lady,-this is being very sharp,
indeed. Mr. Wylder's business detains him a day or two
longer than he expected, and he is punished by a final dis-
missal!" .
"So far, dear Lady Chelford, from provoking me to
this decision, his absence is, I assure you, the sole reason
of my having delayed to inform him of it."
"And I assure you, Miss Brandon, / shan't undertake
to deliver your monstrous message. He will probably be
here to-morrow. You have prepared an agreeable sur-
prise for him. You shall have the pleasure of adminis-
tering it yourself, Miss Brandon. For my part, I have
done my duty, and here and now renounce all responsi-
bility in the future management of your affairs."
'Saying which, she rose, in a stately and incensed way,
and looking with flashing eyes over Dorcas's head to a far
corner of the apartment, without another word she rus-
tled slowly and majestically from the drawing-room.
She was a good deal shocked, and her feelings quite
changed, however, when next morning the post brought a
letter to Chelford from Mark Wylder, bearing the Bou-
logne post-mark. It said —
"Dear Chelford, — Don't get riled; but the fact is
-Idon't see my way out of my present business " —(this
last word was substituted for another, crossed out, which
looked like " scrape") — " for a couple of months, may-
be. Therefore you see, my liberty and wishes being at /
present interfered with, it would be very hard lines if
poor Dorcas should be held to her bargain. Therefore, I