I thought you
were one. But if you believe me I am dismayed when I think of you
going out into these wild parts which I have always understood are as
bad as a foreign country, and without anyone to look after you, and no
buses and policemen, and what you would do in case of fire I don't
know. However, they do say that providence takes care of babies and
drunken people and the insane, and we can only hope for the best. I
know it's no use trying to persuade you different, for if there's one
thing about you that is known to all the boarders it is that you are
self-willed, and you must excuse me telling the plain truth, seeing
that it is said for your good. So I have had your things packed up,
and Carter Patersons have taken them away to-day. You will find it all
in the bill enclosed, and I have filled in the cheque accordingly. Of
course if you change your mind I shall try to accommodate you if I am
not full up. I cannot help signing myself

"Yours sorrowfully,
"MARTHA RUSSEN.

"N.B.--I may say that the other boarders are very shocked."

Poor old Rusty! She is really not half a bad sort, and I am glad to
have known her: almost as glad as I am to get away from her. It is my
misfortune, I suppose, to be "nervy," and the sound and sight of Madam
in these latter days was enough to bring on an attack.

I turned to the letter from Rose, which was short, sharp and
sisterly--sisterly, I mean, in its shameless candour and freedom from
reserve. Rose rather affects the role of the superior person, and has
patronised me ever since I discovered her. This is what she wrote:

"MY DEAR GRACE,

"I am not sure that I ought not to write '_disgrace_.' I always have
said that you are as mad as the March hare in 'Alice' and now I am sure
of it. Your letter has not one line of sense in it from beginning to
end except that in which you suggest that I may come to see you some
time. So I may, if the funds ever run to it. It will be an education
to do so. I would go to see you in your native haunts just as I would
go to see any other natural freak in which I might be interested. But
I won't pay ordinary railway fare, so that's flat. If the railway
companies won't reduce their charges by running cheap excursions as
they do for other exhibitions, I shall not come. For if you are not an
exhibition (of crass folly) I don't know what an exhibition is.
However, you have a bit of money and a trade (sorry! I mean a
professio