My dear Miss Faithfull Many thanks for your kind letter. I know you would be glad of Fanny's happiness; & knowing what she is you cannot but be sure of mine. Perhaps too you know me enough to be glad of mine for my own sake, and I hope you will know enough of us in the future to find that it is really good for her. That at least is my deepest desire. It is one every man ought to have towards the woman he marries; but I [find?] it is particularly true of my own feeling to her, so far as one can be sure of what is yet only ideal & needs life & experience for realisation. In fact one of my _____thoughts about her was a wish to make life better for her, in fact for any ____ that we might really be to each other what we are; and now I have far stronger motives for nearer acquaintances, and from a want to make a first return for all the good she has given me. Besides my own old standing desire for her happiness, the best security is her own acceptance of me : & though I should be sorry to value myself at her estimate yet we know each other so ___& well, that there is no room left for mistakes as to character & _________ & those things which must be the ____ of effectual life together. It is first this knowledge & certainty in ourselves & our characters, in our views of life & our aims therein, that make us certain of the wisdom of our marriage, beyond our being what we are to each other, ___ because what we are. But you know her well enough to know how good she is, & that she deserves more than I can give, though not more than I can try to give. The only objection we can think of is that we agree so well, that it may be dull; but on the whole I think we have both sufficient latent humour & presence to enliven our more serious [unanimit?] I only hope my family will learn to value the addition to it; my mother at least I can depend on; & she is very pleased at present, & I hope will come to know Fanny well, & there by as you say, the old tie between Faithfulls & Farshawes may be revived. Thanks once again for our letter. Yrs affect Reginald Farshawe.
Written at Worthing.