He had never seen
Francesca's writing, but he stood possessed, almost assured, of the
belief that this letter was penned by her hand; and at last parted with
it slowly and unwillingly, as though it were the dear hand of which he
mused; then took himself to task for this boyish weakness and folly.
Nevertheless, he went in pursuit of Jim, not to question him,--he was
too thorough a gentleman for that,--but led on partly by his desire to
see a familiar face, partly by this folly, as he called it with a sort
of amused disdain.
Folly, however, it was not, save in such measure as the subtle
telegraphings between spirit and spirit can be thus called. Unjustly so
called they are, constantly; it being the habit of most people to
denounce as heresy or ridicule as madness things too high for their
sight or too deep for their comprehension. As these people would say,
"oddly enough," or "by an extraordinary coincidence," this very letter
was from Miss Ercildoune,--a letter which she wrote as she purposed, and
as she well knew how to write, in behalf of Sallie. It was ostensibly on
quite another theme; asking some information in regard to a comrade, but
so cunningly devised and executed as to tell him in few words, and
unsuspiciously, some news of Sallie,--news which she knew would delight
his heart, and overthrow the little barrier which had stood between
them, making both miserable, but which he would not, and she could not,
clamber over or destroy.
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