Worcester Feby 20, 1850

Dear Bradburn,

     I think I have hit upon the secret of Robinson’s conduct, so far as it is mysterious. It is that he is thinking of living again with his wife. You see if they are not together within six months. If she is as bad as reputed, he doubtless thinks she has been punished enough to last her the rest of her days. Besides, he is of a relenting disposition. And be she angel, or be she devil, it is not in human nature that he can have lived with her twenty five years, and had ten or a dozen children by her, without feeling some affection for her. It is unnatural too that he should live all the rest of his days without a woman, and without making any effort to live again with the only woman he can life with. His saying that he would not have risked a separation had he no felt sure Mrs. P would come, shows that it was possible even then for him to live with his wife, and if possible then, how much more now.
     But he does not dare speak of it yet. He repairs his house and furnishes it, to make it pleasant for her—then quits boarding, he gets rid of all connexion [sic] with other people, and returns to his own house—knowing that she will hear of every movement—thus preparing the way for the reunion.

     He did not dare to tell you himself that he was going to return to his house, through fear that you would suspect the motive, and not because he did not intend to do all that he thought right towards Mrs. P. He leaves it to Foster to tell her. And Foster, being in the dark about R’s real motives, and supposing that expense is the true one--(and Robinson, not being yet ready to declare his real motive, holds out the pretended one of economy)—imitates her on that ground—and brings Robinson into fault in her eyes. He is reproached—he tries to excuse himself on the ground of economy, because he dare as yet give no other reason. You take fire—we’ll not speak to him—insult him—he feels that he has not deserved such treatment at your hands, and he will not submit to it.

     He probably also looks upon the contact with Mrs. P in a very different light from what she does—and I must think he has some reason for doing so.

     Probably also he is disappointed in regard to the society of Mrs. P. He of course wants the society of a woman. But Mrs. P. is no society for him—has no sympathy with him—and he feels it.

     Think of these things, and tell me whether they do not solve the riddle?

                             Yours truly,

                             L. Spooner