Page "belles_lettres" Paragraph 979

For his part, Thompson had explained in a previous letter that there would be nothing but an honorable friendship between Katie and himself.

At no time does he seem to have proposed marriage, and Mrs. King was evidently torn between a concern for her daughter's emotions and the desire to believe that the friendship might be continued without harm to her reputation.

In any case, she told Thompson that she saw no reason why he might not see Katie again, `` now that this frank explanation has been made & no one can misunderstand ''.

She ended her letter with the assurance that she considered his friendship for her daughter and herself to be an honor, from which she could not part `` without still more pain ''.