"Oh, grandfather, you never wrote that!" she exclaimed.
"I never wrote that? What do you mean, mistress? Am I in the habit of saying what is not true?"
"Oh, no; but I am so grieved that you should have written such a letter."
"Why, pray?"
"Because I cannot bear that any one should think for a moment that I could ever marry again."
"Well, it does not matter after all. If the duke should come on this fool's errand, I shall be far enough out of his reach," thought Cora; but she said no more.
The breakfast bell rang out with much clamor, and the old man arose growling.
"And now you have cheated me out of my hour with the newspapers by your foolish talk. Come, come to breakfast and let us hear no more nonsense about going on that wild goose chase to the Indian frontier."
At the end of the morning meal he arose from the table, called his young wife to fetch him his hat, his gloves, his duster, and other belongings, and he got ready for his daily morning drive to the works.