of his vest was a letter, the broken seal of which bore her own
monogram. She plucked it out of its resting place, and read it
hastily by the flicker of the firelight. It was in Lady Sarah's
handwriting, and ran thus:

"My Dear Mr Brian,--Although, when last we parted, it was
with the usual understanding that tonight we should meet
again; yet subsequent reflection, and the positive injunctions
of my parents, have obliged me to decide otherwise. You
are to know, therefore, that, in obedience to the wishes
of my father and mother, I have promised to become the wife
of the gentleman they have chosen for me. All correspondence
between us must therefore wholly cease, nor must you longer
suffer yourself to entertain a thought of me. It is hardly
necessary to add that I shall not expect to see you this
evening; your own sense of honor will, I am persuaded, be
sufficient to restrain you from keeping an appointment
against my wishes. In concluding, I beg you will not attempt
to obtain any further explanation of my conduct; but rest
assured that it is the unalterable resolve of cool and
earnest deliberation. "For the last time I subscribe myself
"JULIA LORRINGTON.

"Postscript.--In order to save you any doubt of my entire
concurrence in my mother's wishes, I sign and address this
with my own hand, and Virginie, who undertakes to deliver it,
will add her personal testimony to the truth of these statements,
since she has witnessed the writing of the letter, and knows
how fully my consent has been given to all its expressions."