
          for your sake"-- no doubt you would "do all
 in your power to keep me from the dear old
 plants"-- but I will not let your power be as great
 as it has been-- in fact, I am not sure whether
 I will love you any more-- tho' you do call me
 dear dear Mr. Carey, & promise to "dress in your
 best" to receive me--as if I did not understand
 the satisfaction of every little coquette at a 
 chance to look her prettiest! But-- dear dear
 Jeannie, I cannot leave the City just now, for
 divers [i.e. diverse] good reasons, & I assign one. Not that a
 petted and spoiled thing like yourself is at all
 moved by reasons-- of any sort-- or at any time.
 Therefore, upon second thoughts, I will not give
 reasons to you, but beg you to say to your
 good mother, with my sincere acknowlegements
 for her kind & warm invitation-- that my
 daughter has guests at her house (her sister
 & brother-in-law) who sail for England in
 a fortnight, & it would not be pleasant
 for me to quit the City, in the interim. Besides
 this, it is only within the last 2 days that I
 have felt at all like myself, & as I am
 now, thank God, very much better, I should
 not like to run the risk of renewing the cold
 & attending disagreeables from which I am
 but just recovering, after 3 or 4 very uncomfortable 
 weeks. What an old fellow he has
 become! exclaims saucy Jeannie. I am almost
        