� what have you there sam called at the post office just now and found this here letter as has laid there for two days replied mr if s sealed vith a and directed in hand don t know this hand said mr opening the letter mercy on us i what s this it must be a jest it � it � can t be true what s the matter was the general inquiry nobody dead is there said alarmed at the horror in mr s countenance mr made no reply but pushing the letter across the table and desiring mr to read it aloud fell back in his chair with a look of vacant astonishment quite alarming to behold papers of mr with a trembling voice read the letter of which the following is a copy � s august against sir saving been instructed hy mrs to commence an action against you for a breach of promise of marriage for which the her at fifteen hundred pounds we beg to inform you that a has been issued against you in this suit in the of common and request to know by return of the name of your attorney in london who wiu ac service thereof we are sir tour obedient servants and mr samuel there was something so impressive in the mute astonishment with which each man regarded his neighbor and every man regarded mr that all seemed a aid to speak the silence was at length broken by mr and he repeated mechanically and said mr musing peace of mind and happiness of confiding females murmured mr with an air of abstraction it s a conspiracy said mr at length recovering the power of speech a base conspiracy between these two grasping and mrs would never do it � she hasn t the heart the club to do it � she hasn t the case to do it ridiculous � ridiculous of her heart said with a smile you should certainly be the best judge i don t wish to you but i should certainly say that of her case and are far better judges than any of us can be it s a vile attempt to money said mr i hope it is said with a short dry cough who ever heard me address her in any way but that in which a would address his landlady continued mr with great vehemence who ever saw me with her not even my here except on one occasion said mr mr changed color � ah said � well important there was nothing suspicious then i suppose mr glanced timidly at his leader why he said there was nothing suspicious but � i don t know how it happened mind � she certainly was in his arms gracious powers ejaculated mr as the recollection of the scene in question struck forcibly upon him what a dreadful instance of the force of circumstances so she was � so she was and our friend was soothing her anguish said mr rather so i was said mr i won t deny it so i was said for a case in which there s nothing suspicious this looks rather queer � eh pick papers of ah sly dog � sly dog and he laughed till the glasses on the rang again what a of appearances exclaimed mr resting his chin upon his hands � i beg your pardon for the observations i made just now we are all the victims of circumstances and i the greatest with this apology mr buried his head in his hands and while measured out a regular circle of and addressed to the other members of the company ru have it explained though said mr raising his head and the table see this and go to london to morrow not to morrow said you re too lame well then next day next day is the first of september and you re pledged to ride out with us as far as sir s grounds at all events and to meet us at lunch if you don t take the field well then the day after said mr thursday � sam � sir mr take two places outside to london on thursday morning for yourself and me well sir mr left the room and departed slowly on his errand with his hands in his pockets and his eyes fi ed on the ground rum the said mr as he walked slowly up the street think o his up to that ere mrs � vith a little boy too i al the club ways the vith these here old ever as is such steady to look at i didn t think he d ha done it though � i didn t think he d ha done it and in this ain mr samuel bent his steps towards the office papers of chapter xix a pleasant day with an unpleasant termination the birds who happily for their own peace of mind and personal comfort were in ignorance of the preparations which had been making to astonish them on the first of september hailed it no doubt as one of the mornings they had seen that season many a young who complacently among the with all the of youth and many an older one who watched his levity out of his little round eye with the contemptuous air of a bird of wisdom and experience alike unconscious of their approaching doom in the fresh morning air with lively and feelings and a few hours afterwards were kid low upon the earth but we grow affecting let us proceed in plain commonplace matter of fact then it was a fine morning � so fine that you would scarcely have believed that the few months of an english summer had yet flown by hedges fields and trees hill and presented to the eye their ever varying shades of deep rich green scarce a leaf had fallen 