ary.

"My dear Miss Gray," he said, "we have a difficult task before us. I
have received a letter, which it is essential I should hear. I am
obliged to ask you to read it to me, because there is absolutely no one
else to whom I can prefer such a request. I cannot but know that it
will be a difficult and painful task for you, feeling yourself an
intermediary between two wounded and sundered hearts. May I make it
easier, my dear little girl, by assuring you that I know of no one in
this world from whose lips I could listen to the contents of that
letter with less pain; and, failing my own, there are no eyes beneath
which I could less grudgingly let it pass, there is no mind I could so
unquestioningly trust, to judge kindly, both of myself and of the
writer; and to forget faithfully, all which was not intended to come
within the knowledge of a third person."

"Thank you, Mr. Dalmain," said Nurse Rosemary.

Garth leaned back in his chair, shielding his face with his hand.

"Now, if you please," he said. And, very clearly and quietly, Nurse
Rosemary began to read.

"DEAR GARTH, As you will not let me come to you, so that I could say,
between you and me alone, that which must be said, I am compelled to
write it. It is your own fault, Dal; and we both pay the penalty. For
how can I write to you freely when I know, that as you listen, it will
seem to you of every word I am writing, that I am dragging a third
person into that which ought to be, most sacredly, between you and me
alone. And yet, I must write freely; and I must make you fully
understand; because the whole of your future life and mine will depend
upon your reply to this letter. I must write as if you were able to
hold the letter in your own hands, and read it to yourself. Therefore,
if you cannot completely trust your secretary, with the private history
of your heart and mine, bid her give it you back without turning this
first page; and let me come myself, Garth, and tell you all the rest."

"That is the bottom of the page," said Nurse Rosemary; and waited.

Garth did not remove his hand. "I do completely trust; and she must not
come," he said.

Nurse Rosemary turned the page, and went on reading.

"I want you to remember, Garth, that every word I write, is the simple
unvarnished truth. If you look back over your remembrance of me, you
will admit that I am not naturally an untruthful person, nor did I ever
take easily to prevarication. But, Garth, I told