When Bridgewater arrived half an hour later, he found his master laboriously addressing an envelope.
"Take that and post it, Bridgewater." Bridgewater took it and placed it in his pocket without looking at the address upon it, and having reported on the morning letters, and received advice as to dealing with one or two matters, ambled off on his errand.
That evening at five o'clock, when Patience brought him up a cup of tea and the evening newspaper, James, considerably eased by the colchicum and pills of Dr Carter, said: "Put the tea on the table there, and sit down, Patience. I wish to speak to you."
Patience sat down, took her knitting from her apron pocket, and began to knit.
"I have written a letter to-day to Miss Lambert."
"Oh!"
"An important letter, a vitally important letter to me."
"You mean, James, that you have written a letter of proposal—that you intend, in short, to marry Miss Lambert?"
"That is precisely my meaning."