All this was rational, pleasant, and straightforward.

And in the letter there was no tone or touch of the old quarrel.

It was full and cordial,--such as any son might write to any father.

It need hardly be said that there was no mention made in it of Mrs.Smith.It was written after the return of John Caldigate from Sydney to Ahalala, but contained no reference to any matrimonial projects.
Letters then came regularly, month by month, and were always regularly answered,--till a chance reader would have thought that no father and no son stood on better terms with each other.

There had been misfortunes; but the misfortunes did not seem to touch John Caldigate himself.