'My friend is a man of very strong passions, and accustomed to a simple, patriarchal style of life.

You see the thing from here: unfortunate visit to Europe, followed by unfortunate acquaintance with sham foreign count, who has a lovely daughter.

Mr Thomas was quite carried away; he proposed, he was accepted, and he wrote--wrote in a style which I am sure he must regret today.

If these letters are produced in court, sir, Mr Thomas's character is gone.' 'Am I to understand--' began Gideon.
'My dear sir,' said the Australian emphatically, 'it isn't possible to understand unless you saw them.' 'That is a painful circumstance,' said Gideon; he glanced pityingly in the direction of the culprit, and, observing on his countenance every mark of confusion, pityingly withdrew his eyes.
'And that would be nothing,' continued Mr Dickson sternly, 'but I wish--I wish from my heart, sir, I could say that Mr Thomas's hands were clean.

He has no excuse; for he was engaged at the time--and is still engaged--to the belle of Constantinople, Ga.