travellers who have gone before us into a far country, leaving behind
them a few poor relics, and a memory that, if we have loved them, ought
to make us look forward with desire to the time when we shall see them
again."

Three weeks later I left Deepley Walls. Madame Delclos was in London for
a week, and it was arranged that I should return to France with her.
Major Strickland took me up to town and saw me safely into her hands. My
heart was very sad at leaving all my dear new-found friends, but Sister
Agnes had exhorted me to fortitude before I parted from her, and I knew
that neither by her, nor the Major, nor George, nor Dance, should I be
forgotten. I saw Lady Chillington for a moment before leaving. She gave
me two frigid fingers, and said that she hoped I should be a good girl,
and attend assiduously to my lessons, for that in after life I should
have to depend upon my own industry for a living. I felt at the moment
that I would much rather do that than have to depend through life on her
ladyship's bounty.

A few tears would come when the moment arrived for me to say farewell to
the Major. He tried his best, in his hearty, affectionate way, to cheer
me up. I flung my arms round his neck and kissed him tenderly. He turned
abruptly, seized his hat, and rushed from the room. Whereupon Madame
Delclos, who had been trying to look _sympathique_, drew herself up,
frowned, and pinched one of my ears viciously. Forty-eight hours later I
was safely shut up in the Pension Clissot.

* * * * *

Here my personal narrative ends. From this point the story of which the
preceding pages form a part will be recorded by another pen. It was