About a week after the execution had taken place, Lord Glenfallen one
morning met me with an unusually sprightly air--

"Fanny," said he, "I have it now for the first time, in my power to
explain to your satisfaction every thing which has hitherto appeared
suspicious or mysterious in my conduct. After breakfast come with me
to my study, and I shall, I hope, make all things clear."

This invitation afforded me more real pleasure than I had experienced
for months; something had certainly occurred to tranquillize my
husband's mind, in no ordinary degree, and I thought it by no means
impossible that he would, in the proposed interview, prove himself the
most injured and innocent of men. Full of this hope I repaired to his
study at the appointed hour; he was writing busily when I entered the
room, and just raising his eyes, he requested me to be seated. I took
a chair as he desired, and remained silently awaiting his leisure,
while he finished, folded, directed, and sealed his letter; laying it
then upon the table, with the address downward, he said--

"My dearest Fanny, I know I must have appeared very strange to you and
very unkind--often even cruel; before the end of this week I will show
you the necessity of my conduct; how impossible it was that I should
have seemed otherwise. I am conscious that many acts of mine must have
inevitably given rise to painful suspicions--suspicions, which indeed,
upon one occasion you very properly communicated to me. I have
gotten two letters from a quarter which commands respect, containing
information as to the course by which I may be enabled to prove the
negative of all the crimes which even the most credulous suspicion
could lay to my charge. I expected a third by this morning's post,