as my father used to tell me about."

"You think very badly of me, then?" returned the other with a sigh.
Her courage, her pride, her attempt to control the situation had vanished
suddenly, and she became for the moment almost the child she looked.

"We've only just begun. We're all his friends here, and we'll judge you
and think of you according to what happens between you and him. You
wrote him that letter!"

She suddenly placed her hand on the desk as the inspiration came to her
to have this matter of the letter out now, and to have Mrs. Crozier know
exactly what the position was, no matter what might be thought of
herself. She was only thinking of Shiel Crozier and his future now.

"What letter did I write?" There was real surprise and wonder in her
tone.

"That last letter you wrote to him--the letter in which you gave him fits
for breaking his promise, and talked like a proud, angry angel from the
top of the stairs."

"How do you know of that letter? He, my husband, told you what was in
that letter; he showed it to you?" The voice was indignant, low, and
almost rough with anger.

"Yes, your husband showed me the letter--unopened."

"Unopened--I do not understand." Mona steadied herself against the foot
of the bed and looked in a helpless way at Kitty. Her composure was