Chapter XXXVI: A Short Correspondence

No sooner had Mr. Prigley got into the full swing of work with his young pupil, than he received a letter from our friend Colonel Stanburne of Wenderholme:--

"MY DEAR MR. PRIGLEY,--It would give me great pleasure, and
be of great use to me besides, if you could come over here
and stay with me for a fortnight or three weeks. We got the
house covered in just before the winter, and the works have
been going forward since in some parts of the interior, but
there are some points about internal fittings, especially
in the principal rooms, that I and my architect don't agree
about. Now, what I most want is, the advice of a competent
unprofessional friend; and as I know that you have studied
architecture much more deeply than I have ever done myself,
I look to you to help me. It will probably be a long time
before the house is finished, but now is the time to decide
about the interior arrangements. Helena is at Lord
Adisham's, and so I am left alone with the architect. I
wish you would come. He seems to want me to adopt a
different style for the finishing of the interior to that
which was generally prevalent when Wenderholme was built.
Now my notion is (_puisque l'occasion se présente_) to make
the place as homogeneous as possible.

"Do come. You will stay here at the Cottage. I am living
with my mother.

"Very faithfully yours,
JOHN STANBURNE."

To this letter, which offered to Mr. Prigley's mind the most tempting of all possible baits, for he dearly loved to dabble in architecture and restorations, the reverend gentleman, being bound by his engagement with the Ogdens, could only regretfully answer:--

"MY DEAR COLONEL STANBURNE,--I should have accepted your
kind invitation with the greatest pleasure, and the more so
that I take a deep interest in the restoration of your
noble old mansion, but unfortunately I have a private pupil
whom I cannot leave. It is young Jacob Ogden, whose father
is one of your militia officers.

"Yours most truly,
E. PRIGLEY."

But by return of post Mr. Prigley got the following short reply:--

"MY DEAR MR. PRIGLEY,--The best solution of the difficulty
will be, to bring little Jacob with you. I know little
Jacob very well, and he knows me. Give my compliments to
his father if you have to ask his permission, and tell him
we will take good care of his little boy.

"Yours very faithfully,
J. STANBURNE."

So the end of it was, that little Jacob found himself suddenly removed to Wenderholme Cottage, where old Mrs. Stanburne lived. The change was highly agreeable to him--not the less agreeable that the companion of his leisure hours was the beautiful little Edith.