Never was there a more commonplace or business-like note, but it seemed
a miracle of easy grace to Magdaléna: it was the first note of any sort
that she had received from a man not old enough to be her father. She
invested it with all the man's magnetism, and heard it enunciated in his
cultivated voice. She imagined it delivered in the nasal tones of her
uncle, or in the thick voice of the youth that had sat on her left at
the birthday dinner,--she had forgotten his name,--and shuddered.
She recalled that her mother had received an envelope directed by the
same hand the night before; but that, doubtless, had been a mere note of
politeness. He had written this because he wished to do so!
She spent the entire morning answering the note, and discovered that it
was as easy to write a book. After tearing up some twenty epistles, she
concluded that the following, when copied on her best note-paper, and
compared with the dictionary, would do,--
DEAR MR. TRENNAHAN,--I am glad that you have bought the
Mark Smith place. There is nothing that I want. Many thanks.
Yours truly,