ing him. It was from
Glory:

"Are you dead and buried? If so, send me word, that I may compose your
epitaph. 'Here lies--_Lies_ is good, for though you didn't promise to
come back you ought to have done so; therefore it comes to the same thing
in the end. You must not think too ill of Mr. Drake. I call him the milk
of human kindness, and his friend Lord Robert the oil thereof--I mean the
oil of vitriol. But his temper is like the Caspian Sea, having neither
ebb nor flow, while yours is like the Bay of Biscay--oh, so I can't
expect you to agree. As for poor me, I may be guilty of all the seven
deadly sins, but I can't see why I should be boycotted on that account.
There is something I didn't know when you were here, and I want to
explain about it. Therefore come 'right away' (Lord Bob, Americanized).
Being slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, I will forgive you if you
come soon. If you don't, I'll--I'll go on the bike--feminine equivalent
to the drink. To tell you the truth, I've done so already, having been
careering round the gardens of the Inn during the early hours of morning,
clad in Rosa's 'bloomers,' in which I make a picture and a sensation at
the same time, she being several sizes larger round the hips, and
fearfully and wonderfully made. If that doesn't fetch you I'll go in for
boxing next, and in a pair of four-ounce gloves I'll cut a _striking_
figure, I can tell you.

"But, John Storm, have you cast me off entirely? Do you intend to abandon
me? Do you think there is no salvation left for me? And are you going to
let me sink in all this mire without stretching out a hand to help me?
Oh, dear! oh, dear! I don't know what has come over the silly old world
since I came back to London. Think it must be teething, judging by the
sharpness of its bite, and feel as if I should like to give it a dose of
syrup of squills."

As John read the letter his eyelids quivered and his mouth relaxed. Then
he glanced at it again, and his face clouded.

"I can not leave her entirely to the mercy of men like these," he
thought.

This innocent daring, this babelike ripping up of serviceable
conventions--God knows what advantage such men might take of it. He must
see her once again, to warn, to counsel her. It was his duty--he must not
shrink from it.

* * * * *

It had been a day of painful impressions to Glory. Early in the morning
Lord Robert had called to take her to the "reading" of the n