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12 as the reading aloud of indifferent English and ridiculous sentiments in tones suitable to the most chaste and classic prose. This he had done in court with infinite gusto, and he did it now as he would have done it in court.

My dear Mother (he began reading, through a single eyeglass that became him rather well),—Before you open this letter you'll see that I'm on my way home! I am sorry I haven't written you for so long, and very sorry I didn't before I sailed. I should think when I last wrote was from Bindarra. But I must come at once to my great news—which Heaven knows how I'm to tell you, and how you'll take it when I do. Well, I will, in two words—the fact is, I'm married! My wife is the daughter of 'the boss of Bindarra'—in other words, a 'squatter' with a 'run' (or territory) as big as a good many English counties.

The crisp forensic tones were dropped for an explanatory aside. 'He evidently means—father' (Granville nearly said 'my lord,' through force of habit), 'that his father-in-law is the squatter; not his wife, which is what he says. He writes in such a slipshod style. I should also think he means that the territory