He told her he had come to thank her for her great kindness, and to
accept the offer.

She sighed. "I hoped it was to decline it. Think of the misery of
separation, both to you and her."

"It will be misery. But we are not happy as it is, and she cannot bear
poverty. Nor is it fair she should, when I can give her every comfort by
just playing the man for a year or two." He then told Lady Cicely there
were more reasons than he chose to mention: go he must, and would; and
he implored her not to let the affair drop. In short, he was sad but
resolved, and she found she must go on with it, or break faith with him.
She took her desk, and wrote a letter concluding the bargain for him.
She stipulated for half the year's fee in advance. She read Dr. Staines
the letter.

"You ARE a friend!" said he. "I should never have ventured on that; it
will be a godsend to my poor Rosa. You will be kind to her when I am
gone?"

"I will."

"So will Uncle Philip, I think. I will see him before I go, and shake
hands. He has been a good friend to me; but he was too hard upon HER;
and I could not stand that."

Then he thanked and blessed her again, with the tears in his eyes, and
left her more disturbed and tearful than she had ever been since she
grew to woman. "O cruel poverty!" she thought, "that such a man should
be torn from his home, and thank me for doing it--all for a little