A letter fell to the ground--the letter in the unknown handwriting. Some
premonition made her open it and prepared her for the signature.

"MY DEAR MISS MALLORY,--I heard of the sad discovery which
had taken place, from my cousin, Miss Drake, on Sunday
morning, and came up at once from the country to be with my
mother; for I know well with what sympathy she had been
following Oliver's wishes and desires. It is a very painful
business. I do most truly regret the perplexing situation in
which you find yourself, and I am sure you will not resent it
if, as Oliver's sister, I write you my views on the matter.

"I am afraid it is useless to expect that my mother should
give way. And, then, the question is, What is the right
course for you and Oliver to pursue? I understand that he
proposed to you, and you accepted him, in ignorance of the
melancholy truth. And, like a man of honor, he proposes to
stand by his engagement--unless, of course, you release him.

"Now, if I were in your place, I should expect to consider
such a matter not as affecting myself only, but in its
relation to society--and the community. Our first duty is to
Society. We owe it everything, and we must not act selfishly
toward it. Consider Oliver's position. He has his foot on the
political ladder. Every session his influence in Parliament
increases. His speech to-night was--as I hear from a man who
has just come from the debate--the most brilliant he has yet
made. It is extremely likely that when our party comes in
again he will have office, and in ten or fifteen years' time
what is there to prevent his being even Prime Minister?--with
all the mighty influence over millions of human beings which
that means?

"But to give him every chance in his career money is,
unfortunately, indispensable. Every English Prime Minister
has been a rich man. It may be a blot on our English life. I
think it is. But, then, I have been all my life on the side
of the poor. You, who are a Tory and an Imperialist, who
sympathize with militarism and with war, will agree that it
is important our politicians should be among the 'Haves,'
that a man's possessions _do_ matter to his party and
his cause.

"They matter especially--at the present moment--to _our_
party and _our_ cause. We are th