explained Mark, laconically.
'Nonsense,' said Trixie, 'you don't treat us with such ceremony as all that.'
'Not lately,' said Mark; 'that's how it is—it's bad for a family to get lax in these little matters of mutual courtesy. I'm going to see if I can't raise your tone—this is the beginning.'
'I'm sure we're very much obliged to you,' from Martha; 'I'm quite satisfied with my own tone, it's quite high enough for me, thank you.'
'Yes, I forgot,' said Mark, 'I've heard it very high indeed sometimes. I wronged you, Martha. Still, you know, we might (all except you, Martha) be more polite to one another without causing ourselves any internal injury, mightn't we?'
'Well, Mark,' said Trixie, 'all you have to do is to ask our leave to open the letter, if you're really so particular.'
'Is that in the Etiquette Book?' inquired Mark.
'Don't be ridiculous—why don't you ask our leave?'
'I suppose because I want to eat my breakfast—nothing is so prejudicial, my love, to the furtherance of the digestive process as the habit of reading at meals, any medical man will tell you that.'
'Perhaps,' suggested Martha, 'Mark has excellent reasons for preferring to read his letter alone.'
'Do you know, Martha,' said Mark, 'I really think there's something in that?'
'So do I,' said Martha, 'more than you would care for us to know, evidently; but don't be afraid, Mark, whether it's a bill, or a love-letter, or another publisher's rejection; we don't want to know your secrets—do we, Cuthbert?'
'Very amiable of you to say so,' said Mark. 'Then I shan't annoy you if I keep my letter to myself, shall I? Because I rather thought of doing it.'
'Eh? doing what? What is Mark saying about a letter?' broke in Mr. Ashburn. He had a way of striking suddenly like this into conversations.
'Somebody has written me a letter, father,' said Mark; 'I was telling Martha I thought I should read it—presently.'
But even when he was alone he felt in no hurry to possess himself of the contents. 'I expect it's the usual thing,' he thought. 'Poor Vincent is out of all that now. Let's see how they let him down!' and he read:—
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