he Dolphin, where I am alone. Oh, Lord! 'Alone,' with a
line under it, Mr. Wilfrud! But there--the arr'stocracy needn't matter a
bit."

"It's a very singular proceeding not the less," said Wilfrid. "Why
didn't she go to the hotel where the others are, if she wouldn't come
here?"

"But the arr'stocracy, Mr. Wilfrud! And alone--alone! d'ye see? which
couldn't be among the others; becas of sweet whisperin'. 'Alone,'" Mrs.
Chump read on; "'and to-morrow I'll pay my respects to what you call
your simmering pot of Emerald broth.' Oh ye hussy! I'd say, if ye
weren't a borrn lady. And signs ut all, 'Your faithful Charlotte.'
Mr. Wilfrud, I'd give five pounds for this letter if I didn't know ye
wouldn't part with it under fifty. And 'deed I am a simmerin' pot; for
she'll be a relation, my dear! Go to 'r. I'll have your bed ready for
ye here at the end of an hour; and to-morrrow perhaps, if Lady Charlotte
can spare me, I'll condescend to see Ad'la."

Wilfrid fanned her cheek with the note, and then dropped it on her
neck and left the room. He was soon hurrying on his way to the Dolphin:
midway he stopped. "There may be a bad shot in Bella's letter," he
thought. Shop-lights were ahead: a very luminous chemist sent a green
ray into the darkness. Wilfrid fixed himself under it. "Confoundedly
appropriate for a man reading that his wife has run away from him!" he
muttered, and hard quickly plunged into matter quite as absorbing. When
he had finished it he shivered. Thus it ran:

"My beloved brother,

"I bring myself to plain words. Happy those who can trifle with human
language! Papa has at last taken us into his confidence. He has
not spoken distinctly; he did us the credit to see that it was
not necessary. If in our abyss of grief we loss delicacy, what is
left?--what!

"The step he desired to take, Which We Opposed, he has anticipated, And
Must Consummate.

"Oh, Wilfrid! you see it, do you not? You comprehend me I am surf! I
should have said 'had anticipated.' How to convey to you! (but it would
be unjust to him--to ourselves--were I to say emphatically what I have
not yet a right to think). What I have hinted above is, after all;
nothing but Cornelia's conjecture, I wish I could not say confirmed by
mine. We sat with Papa two hours before any idea of his meaning dawned
upon us. He first scolded us. We both saw from this that more was to
come.

"I hope there are not many in this world to whom the thought of honour
being