s, the mouth, the beautiful outline of the
head--above all, the hands, whose delicate whiteness specially enraged
her.

When the work of wreck was done, she stood a moment gazing at it.
Then, violently, she looked for writing-paper. She could see none:
but there was an unused half-sheet at the back of one of Madame de
Pastourelles' letters, and she roughly tore it off. Making use of a
book held on her knee, and finding the pen and ink with which, only
half an hour before, Lord Findon had written his cheque, she began to
write:

Good-bye, John,--I have found out all I want to know, and you will
never see me again. I will never be a burden on a man who is ashamed
of me, and has behaved as though I were dead. It is no good wasting
words--you know it's true. Perhaps you may think I have no right to
take Carrie. But I can't be alone--and, after all, she is more mine
than yours. Don't trouble about me. I have some money, and I mean to
support myself and Carrie. It was only last night this idea came to
me, though it was the night before that--Never mind--I can't write
about it, it would take too long, and it doesn't really matter to
either of us. I don't want you to find me here; you might persuade me
to come back to you, and I know it would be for the misery of both of
us. What was I saying?--oh, the money--Well, last night, a cousin of
mine, from Keswick, perhaps you remember him--Freddie Tolson--came
to see me. Father sent him. You didn't believe what I told you about
father--you thought I was making up. You'll be sorry, I think, when
you read this, for by now, most likely, father has passed away.
Freddie told me the doctor had given him up, and he was very near
going. But he sent Freddie to me, with some money he had really left
me in his will--only he was afraid Mrs. Gibson would get hold of it,
and never let me have it. So he sent it by hand, with his love and
blessing--and Freddie was to say he was sorry you had left me so long,
and he didn't think it was a right thing for a man to do. Never mind
how much it was. It's my very own, and I'm glad it comes from my
father, and not from you. I have my embroidery money too, and I shall
be all right--though very, very miserable. The idea of what I would do
came into my head while I was talking with Freddie--and since I came
into this room, I have made up my mind. I'm sorry I can't set you free
altogether. There's Carrie to think of, and I must live for her sake.
But at any r