"France,
"Wednesday morning.

@@@@"Every letter sent by the usual channel is read and,
@@@@very properly, censored. I do not choose that this
@@@@letter should be seen by any eyes but mine and yours.
@@@@I have therefore asked, and received, permission to
@@@@send this by an old friend who is leaving for England
@@@@with despatches.

@@@@"The work has been rather heavy. I have had very
@@@@little sleep since Sunday, so you must forgive any confusion
@@@@of thought or unsuitable expressions used by
@@@@me to you. Unfortunately I have lost my kit, but the
@@@@old woman in whose cottage I am resting for an hour
@@@@has good-naturedly provided me with paper and envelopes.
@@@@Luckily I managed to keep my fountain-pen.

@@@@"I wish to tell you now what I have long desired to
@@@@tell you -- that I love you -- that it has long been my
@@@@greatest, nay, my only wish, that you should become
@@@@my wife. Sometimes, lately, I have thought that I
@@@@might persuade you to let me love you.

@@@@"In so thinking I may have been a presumptuous
@@@@fool. Be that as it may, I want to tell you that our
@@@@friendship has meant a very great deal to me; that
@@@@without it I should have been, during the last four
@@@@years, a most unhappy man.

@@@@"And now I must close this hurriedly written and
@@@@poorly expressed letter. It does not say a tenth -- nay,
@@@@it does not say a thousandth part of what I would fain
@@@@say. But let me, for the first, and perhaps for the last
@@@@time, call you my dearest."

Then followed his initials "A. G.," and a postscript:

@@@@"As to what has been happening here, I will only

[[186]]

p185 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p186w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p187

v?