I
came over, the poor fellow had sent me--in one of his
periodical fits of reform, _Dieu merci!_--some beautiful
jewels, chains, aigrettes and a gorgeous diamond collar,
begging me to sell them, but on no account to wear them, as
if I would! I sold them pretty well--it's all for the
babies, you know. Poor Frederick--I'm not sure his reforms
were not the hardest to bear!

He has been for so long so less than nothing to me that the
sense of freedom is startling. I'm glad I came as soon as I
heard he was sinking--it was not so very sudden. I was with
him to the last, and the strangest people came to see
him--it was tragically funny. He seemed just like a poor,
disreputable brother to me, and nothing mattered, really,
except to get him what little comfort one could.

I brought the children over, and I think we shall stay here
indefinitely. I have a nice little _appartement_ not too far
from the Bradleys, though, of course, I couldn't afford to
live there! and such a dear, sensible bonne (_a tout faire_,
of course) who gets the children into the park every day for
me when I'm busy. For I am very seriously busy, and how, do
you think? I wrote a long, gossippy letter to Alice Carter
who loves _chiffons_, poor soul, though Madam Bradley
doesn't give her many, telling her what was being worn and
where, and how, and gave her a little account of a
fashionable _fete_ that a friend of mine had described to
me, and the dear creature actually took the trouble of
copying it, omitting personalities, of course, and showing
it to a friend of Walter's, an amazing young man who is
starting some woman's magazine with a phenomenal
circulation, already. He offered her a really good price for
it and said if I would do the same kind of letter every
month, he would pay one hundred dollars for each one--five
hundred _francs_! Of course I accepted, and now I spend two
days a week in the shops, getting ideas and making sketches.
You see I am a business woman, really, Jerry. I have always
believed that plenty of women would do better at their
husband's business, and let them hire housekeepers or attend
to the house themselves! Look at the French women!

It seems so good to be here--it always agreed with me, _la
belle France_, and the children seem