incongruous that will make her life a misery to her."

Somerville, the briefless, held that in the absence of all data
such conclusion was unjustifiable.

"If it had been to anything sensible," was Miss Fossett's opinion,
"she would not have kept me in the dark about it, to spring it upon
me like a bombshell. I've never had so much as a hint from her
until I received this absurd scrawl an hour ago."

Miss Fossett produced from her bag a letter written in pencil.

"There can be no harm in your hearing it," was Miss Fossett's
excuse; "it will give you an idea of the state of the poor thing's
mind."

The tea-drinkers left their cups and gathered round her. "Dear
Susan," read Miss Fossett, "I shall not be able to be with you to-
morrow. Please get me out of it nicely. I can't remember at the
moment what it is. You'll be surprised to hear that I'm ENGAGED--
to be married, I mean, I can hardly REALISE it. I hardly seem to
know where I am. Have just made up my mind to run down to
Yorkshire and see grandmamma. I must do SOMETHING. I must TALK to
SOMEBODY and--forgive me, dear--but you ARE so sensible, and just
now--well I don't FEEL sensible. Will tell you all about it when I
see you--next week, perhaps. You must TRY to like him. He is SO
handsome and REALLY clever--in his own way. Don't scold me. I
never thought it possible that ANYONE could be so happy. It's
quite a different sort of happiness to ANY other sort of happiness.
I don't know how to describe it. Please ask Burcot to let me off