she had left the medicine chest on the chair. She
took it into the bedroom and set it upon the table.

Then she sat down and wrote to Reanda. There was no haste in the
writing, and her head was clear and cool, for she was not afraid. Griggs
could not return for two days, and she had plenty of time. She went over
her story, as she had gone over it many times before in her letters. She
told him all, but not the discovery she had just made. That should die
with her, if it could. It would be easy enough, on the next day, when
the nurse was out, to open the box again, and to tear out the fly-leaf
from each book and so destroy the name. As for the medicine chest,
Griggs might see that it had belonged to her father, but he would
suppose that she had brought it amongst her belongings. He would never
guess that it had lain hidden in the old box for more than twenty years.
That was her plan, and it was simple enough. But she should have to wait
until the next day. It was better so. She could think of what she was
going to do, and nobody would disturb her. She finished her letter.

"You have killed me," she wrote at the end. "If I had not loved you to
the very end, I would tell you that my death is on your soul. But it is
not all your fault, if I have loved you to death. I would not die if I
could be free in any other way, but I cannot live to be touched and
caressed again by this man whom I loathe with all my soul. I tell you
that when he kisses me it is as though I were stung by a serpent of ice.
It is for your sake that I hate him as I do. For your sake I have
suffered hell on earth for more than a whole year. For your sake I die.
I cannot live without you. I have told you so again and a hundred times
again, and you have not believed me. You write to-day and you tell me
that I shall be free, when you die, to marry Paul Griggs. I would rather
marry Satan in hell. But I shall be free to-morrow, for I shall be dead.
God will forgive me, for God knows what I suffer. Good-bye. I love you,
Angelo. I shall love you to-morrow, when the hour comes, and after that
I shall love you always. This is the end. Good-bye. I love you; I kiss
your soul with my soul. Good-bye, good-bye.
"GLORIA."

She cut a lock from her auburn hair and twisted it round and round her
wedding ring, and thrust it into the envelope.

CHAPTER XL.

TWO days later, Paul Griggs stood beside Gloria. S