I expected Peter would make a fuss when he missed it , but that very night the house in which he lived was burned to the ground . Peter escaped with the most important of his goods and chattels , but all the counterfeit presentments of his dear divinities went up in smoke . If he ever thought particularly of Marian Lindsay 's photograph he must have supposed that it shared the fate of the others . As for me , I propped my ill-gotten treasure up on my mantel and worshipped it for a fortnight . At the end of that time I went boldly to Peter and told him I wanted him to introduce me by letter to his dear cousin and ask her to agree to a friendly correspondence with me . Oddly enough , I did not do this without some reluctance , in spite of the fact that I was as much in love with Marian Lindsay as it was possible to be through the medium of a picture . I thought of the girl I had seen in the pine wood and felt an inward shrinking from a step that might divide me from her forever . But I rated myself for this nonsense . It was in the highest degree unlikely that I should ever meet the girl of the pines again . If she were still living she was probably some other man 's wife . I would think no more about it . Peter whistled when he heard what I had to say . `` Of course I 'll do it , old man , '' he said obligingly . `` But I warn you I do n't think it will be much use . Marian is n't the sort of girl to open up a correspondence in such a fashion . However , I 'll do the best I can for you . '' `` Do . Tell her I 'm a respectable fellow with no violent bad habits and all that . I 'm in earnest , Peter . I want to make that girl 's acquaintance , and this seems the only way at present .
I ca n't get off just now XXXXX a trip east .
At If for from in of that to with without