"_A thousand thanks for your nice long, sympathetic letter;_" _i.e._,
"Great bore to have to reply to six pages of insincere gush."
"_Please excuse this hurried scrawl;_" _i.e._, "That'll cover any
mistakes in spelling, &c."
"_Only too delighted;_" _i.e._, "_Can't_ refuse, confound it!"
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[Illustration: ON THE SWOOP!]
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