Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 

CHAPTER 39

WICKFIELD AND HEEP

M

y aunt, beginning, I imagine, to be made seriously

uncomfortable by my prolonged dejection, made a

pretence of being anxious that I should go to Dover, to see

that all was working well at the cottage, which was let; and

to conclude an agreement, with the same tenant, for a lon-

ger term of occupation. Janet was drafted into the service of

Mrs. Strong, where I saw her every day. She had been unde-

cided, on leaving Dover, whether or no to give the finishing

touch to that renunciation of mankind in which she had

been educated, by marrying a pilot; but she decided against

that venture. Not so much for the sake of principle, I believe,

as because she happened not to like him.

Although it required an effort to leave Miss Mills, I fell

rather willingly into my aunt’s pretence, as a means of

enabling me to pass a few tranquil hours with Agnes. I con-

sulted the good Doctor relative to an absence of three days;

and the Doctor wishing me to take that relaxation, - he

wished me to take more; but my energy could not bear that,

• I made up my mind to go.
  As to the Commons, I had no great occasion to be par-