“Oct. 27, 1665.
“Dear Mistress Cherry,
“On first coming down here, I was so ill at Ease and out of Sorts, as to require much Care and Nursing. Heaven be praised, I am now well, and I hope you are the same. Though the Pinks and Gilly-flowers are pretty well over, there are still some gay Autumn Flowers in the old Garden with the Iron Gate; and my Brother, the Squire, and his good Wife want to see the brave Mistress Cherry who nursed me through the Plague. So come down to us, dear Cherry, to-morrow, if you can. John, the Coachman (a steady Man), will be at your Door, with a white Horse and a Pillion, at Seven o’ the Clock. And be so good, if it will not be inconvenient to you, as to bring my Sister-in-Law a little Mace and green Ginger; and also (on my Account) one of those Saffron-cakes they used to be so famous for at the Bridge foot.
“Your faithful and obliged Friend,
“Nathanael Blower.
“If you don’t come, you must write.”
Here was an Event! An Invitation to the Country was a still more startling Occurrence than the Receipt of a Letter. Many of the Circumstances connected with it were delightful; but then, it seemed so strange, so awful, to go to stay with People I had never seen, ... such grand People, too! I that was so unused to fine Company, and did not know how to behave!—And Master Blower knew all this, knew exactly what I was, and yet had prevailed with them to say they should be happy to see me!—Oh, his Goodness of Heart had this Time carried him too far! They had said so just to please him, without expecting I should go!—And yet, if the Lady were very much put to it for Mace and green Ginger.... And if Master Blower’s Heart were very much set upon giving her the Saffron-cake.... I supposed I had better go. If I found myself very much out of Place, I could come away the next Day.
Then I thought I would go and consult Violet; for, in Fact, I wanted a little persuading to do what I very much liked. So I stepped across the Bridge. The Shop was open, but nobody was in it; so I went to the Parlour Door, and opened it.
Directly I had done so, I saw Violet and Mark, sitting close together, their Backs to me, and his Arm round her Waist. I closed the Door so softly that they did not know it had been opened, and went Home. A Pang shot through my Heart. It was entirely on their own Accounts, for I had ceased, for Years, to have Anything but a most sisterly Concern in him; and his Character, compared with those of the People I had most loved, failed to stand the Test: but I thought this was too quick, too sudden, to be quite comely or decent; there was too much Passion, too little Self-respect.
I now made up my Mind without any more Hesitation, that I would go into the Country. I gave my parting Directions to Dolly, and desired her to let Mark have Things comfortable. Then I made up my little Travelling-equipage, not forgetting my Commissions. Being in fresh, well-made Mourning, there was no Trouble or Anxiety about Dress. I quite enjoyed the pleasing Bustle of Preparation, though I did not expect to be absent longer than a Week.