s at the ends of each, weighing them in her
hand as though to make sure that no wrong had been done to them in her
absence, standing them up one against another to see that they were of
the same length. We may be quite sure that Sophie Gordeloup brought no
sovereigns with her to England when she came over with Lady Ongar after
the earl's death, and that the hoard before her contained simply the
plunder which she had collected during this her latest visit to the
"accursed" country which she was going to leave.

But before she started she was resolved to make one more attempt upon
that mine of wealth which, but a few weeks ago, had seemed to lie open
before her. She had learned from the servants in Bolton Street that Lady
Ongar was with Lady Clavering at Clavering Park, and she addressed a
letter to her there. This letter she wrote in English, and she threw
into her appeal all the pathos of which she was capable.

Mount Street, October 186--

DEAREST JULIE:--I do not think you would wish me to go away from
this country forever--forever, without one word of farewell to her I
love so fondly. Yes, I have loved you with all my heart, and now I
am going away--forever. Shall we not meet each other once, and have
one embrace? No trouble will be too much to me for that. No journey
will be too long. Only say, Sophie, come to your Julie.

I must go, because I am so poor. Yes, I can not live longer here
without the means. I am not ashamed to say to my Julie, who is rich,
that I am poor. No; nor would I be ashamed to wait on my Julie like
a slave if she would let me. My Julie was angry with me because of
my brother! Was it my fault that he came upon us in our little
retreat, where we were so happy? Oh, no. I told him not to come. I
knew his coming was for nothing--nothing at all. I knew where was
the heart of my Julie--my poor Julie! But he was not worth that
heart, and the pearl was thrown before a pig. But my brother--Ah!
he has ruined me. Why am I separated from my Julie but for him?
Well, I can go away, and in my own countries there are those who
will not wish to be separated from Sophie Gordeloup.

May I now tell my Julie in what condition is her poor friend? She
will remember how it was that my feet brought me to England--to
England, to which I had said farewell forever--to England, where
people must be rich like my Julie before they