“Your letter never could have come in a more
favourable moment. Any thing you could have said would have been well received.
You surprise me much at the regret you express you had of leaving Carlisle.
Indeed, I can’t believe it was on my account, I was so uncommonly stupid.
I don’t know what could be the matter with me, I was so very low, and
felt really ill: it was even a trouble to speak. The settling of our little
plans—all looked so much in earnest—that I began reflecting more seriously than
I generally do, or
282 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |