ll that you said to me, and as you asked me for
my opinion, and I promised to give it, perhaps I had better tell
you what I think at once. I cannot see that you are, or have been,
under any moral compulsion to repeat the painful events of your
past life, and I am sorry if I implied that I thought you were. Of
course, you may yourself hold that these facts impose a certain
duty upon you, or you may desire that your position should be
known. In that case you will do what you think right, and no one
else can properly decide for you.

"I was indeed grieved by your story. I wish it was in my power to
lessen your pain; but, as it is not, I can only ask you to believe
that if I could do so, I would.

"You will be hard at work, like myself (as you told me), during the
next few months. Is not hard work, after all, the very best of
anodynes? I have found it so in the past, and I trust you have done
so too, and will continue to do so.

"Believe me, dear Mr. Walcott, yours very sincerely,

"LETTICE CAMPION."

She hesitated for some time as to whether she had said too much, or too
little, or whether what she had said was expressed in the right way. But
in the end she sent it as it was written.

Then, if she had been a thoroughly sensible and philosophical young
woman, she would have forced herself to do some hard work, by way of
applying the anodyne of which she had spoken. But that was too much to
expect from her in the circumstances. What she actually did was to go to
bed early and cry herself to sleep.

She had not considered whether her letter required, or was likely to
receive an answer, and she was therefore a little surprised when the
postman brought her one on the afternoon of the following day. Not
without trepidation, she took it to her room and read it.

"DEAR MISS CAMPION"--so the letter began--"I thank you very much for
your kindness. I have learned to find so much meaning in your words that
I think I can tell better than anyone else how to interpret the spirit
from the letter of what you say. So, when you tell me that no one can
decide for me what it is my duty to do, I understand that, if you were
in my position at this moment, you would rather desire that it should be
known. Henceforth I desire it, and I shall tell Mrs. Hartley and Mrs.
Graham as much as is necessary the next time I see them. This will be
equivalent to telli