"Papa! what does this mean?" said she, putting an open note into his
hand. He took up his glasses, but his hand shook so that he could hardly
read. The note was from the Parsonage, to Ellinor; only three lines sent
by Mr. Ness's servant, who had come to fetch Mr. Corbet's things. He had
written three lines with some consideration for Ellinor, even when he was
in his first flush of anger against her father, and it must be confessed
of relief at his own freedom, thus brought about by the act of another,
and not of his own working out, which partly saved his conscience. The
note ran thus:
"DEAR ELLINOR,--Words have passed between your father and me which
have obliged me to leave his house, I fear, never to return to it. I
will write more fully to-morrow. But do not grieve too much, for I am
not, and never have been, good enough for you. God bless you, my
dearest Nelly, though I call you so for the last time.--R. C."
"Papa, what is it?" Ellinor cried, clasping her hands together, as her
father sat silent, vacantly gazing into the fire, after finishing the
note.
"I don't know!" said he, looking up at her piteously; "it's the world, I
think. Everything goes wrong with me and mine: it went wrong before THAT
night--so it can't be that, can it, Ellinor?"
"Oh, papa!" said she, kneeling down by him, her face hidden on his
breast.
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