but was always writing us letters; and wanted so much to see Dora before he went away, that Dora went to visit him, and fainted when she found herself inside the iron bars. In short, I had no peace of my life until he was expatriated, and made (as I afterwards heard) a shepherd of, “up the country” somewhere; I have no geographical idea where.
All this led me into some serious reflections, and presented our mistakes in a new aspect; as I could not help communicating to Dora one evening, in spite of my tenderness for her.
“My love,” said I, “it is very painful to me to think that our want of system and management, involves not only ourselves (which we have got used to), but other people.”
“You have been silent for a long time, and now you are going to be cross!” said Dora.
“No, my dear, indeed! Let me explain to you what I mean.”
“I think I don’t want to know,” said Dora.
“But I want you to know, my love. Put Jip down.”
Dora put his nose to mine, and said “Boh!” to drive my seriousness away; but, not succeeding, ordered him into his Pagoda, and sat looking at me, with her hands folded, and a most resigned little expression of countenance.
“The fact is, my dear,” I began, “there is contagion in us. We infect everyone about us.”
I might have gone on in this figurative manner, if Dora’s face had not admonished me that she was wondering with all her might whether I was going to propose any new kind of vaccination, or other medical remedy, for this unwholesome state of ours. Therefore I checked myself, and made my meaning plainer.