ogy for delay in writing to me, caused by
difficulty in discovering my address.

And what did I do?--Write to the rector, or to Mrs. Fosdyke, for
advice? Not I!

At first I was too indignant to be able to think of what I ought to
do. Our post-time was late, and my head ached as if it would burst into
pieces. I had plenty of leisure to rest and compose myself. When I got
cool again, I felt able to take my own part, without asking any one to
help me.

Even if I had been treated kindly, I should certainly not have taken the
money when there was a relative living with a claim to it. What did _I_
want with a large fortune! To buy a husband with it, perhaps? No, no!
from all that I have heard, the great Lord Chancellor was quite right
when he said that a woman with money at her own disposal was "either
kissed out of it or kicked out of it, six weeks after her marriage." The
one difficulty before me was not to give up my legacy, but to express my
reply with sufficient severity, and at the same time with due regard to
my own self-respect. Here is what I wrote:

"SIR--I will not trouble you by attempting to express my sorrow on
hearing of Sir Gervase Damian's death. You would probably form your own
opinion on that subject also; and I have no wish to be judged by your
unenviable experience of humanity for the second time.

"With regard to the legacy, feeling the sincerest gratitude to my
generous benefactor, I nevertheless refuse to receive the money.

"Be pleased to send me the necessary document to sign, for transferring
my fortune to that relative of Sir Gervase mentioned in your letter. The
one condition on which I insist is, that no expression of thanks shall
be addressed to me by the person in whose favor I resign the money. I
do not desire (even supposing that justice is done to my motives on this
occasion) to be made the object of expressions of gratitude for only
doing my duty."

So it ended. I may be wrong, but I call that strong writing.

In due course of post a formal acknowledgment arrived. I was requested
to wait for the document until the will had been proved, and was
informed that my name should be kept strictly secret in the interval. On
this occasion the executors were almost as insolent as the lawyer. They
felt it their duty to give me time to reconsider a decision which had
been evidently formed on impulse. Ah, how hard men are--at least, some
of them! I locked up the acknowledgment in disgust, resolv