ely refused to agree to any such arrangement. At
last it was decided that Martha should at once go off and look for
lodgings in the vicinity of her own home, that Mrs. Furnival should
proceed to carry on her own business in her own way,--the cruelty
being this, that she would not give the least hint as to what that
way might be,--and that the two ladies should meet together in the
Red Lion Square drawing-room at the close of the day.

"And about dinner, dear?" asked Miss Biggs.

"I will get something at a pastrycook's," said Mrs. Furnival.

"And your clothes, dear?"

"Rachel will see about them; she knows." Now Rachel was the old
female servant of twenty years' standing; and the disappointment
experienced by poor Miss Biggs at the ignorance in which she was left
was greatly enhanced by a belief that Rachel knew more than she did.
Mrs. Furnival would tell Rachel but would not tell her. This was
very, very hard, as Miss Biggs felt. But, nevertheless, friendship,
sincere friendship is long enduring, and true patient merit will
generally receive at last its appropriate reward.

Then Mrs. Furnival had sat down, Martha Biggs having been duly sent
forth on the mission after the lodgings, and had written a letter to
her husband. This she intrusted to Rachel, whom she did not purpose
to remove from that abode of iniquity from which she herself was
fleeing, and having completed her letter she went out upon her own
work. The letter ran as follows:--

Harley Street--Friday.

MY DEAREST TOM,

I cannot stand this any longer, so I have thought it best
to leave the house and go away. I am very sorry to be
forced to such a step as this, and would have put up with
a good deal first; but there are some things which I
cannot put up with,--and won't. I know that a woman has
to obey her husband, and I have always obeyed you, and
thought it no hardship even when I was left so much alone;
but a woman is not to see a slut brought in under her very
nose,--and I won't put up with it. We've been married now
going on over twenty-five years, and it's terrible to
think of being driven to this. I almost believe it will
drive me mad, and then, when I'm a lunatic, of course you
can do as you please.

I don't want to have any secrets from you. Where I shall
go I don't yet know, but I've asked Martha Biggs to take
lodgings for me somewhere near her. I must have somebody
to speak to n