She went slowly upstairs to her sitting-room, closed the door, sat down,
and opened Aubrey's letter.
It contained a smaller envelope sealed, on which was written: "Read
letter first."
She opened the folded sheets.
"DEAR HELEN,
"Yes, you are right about God's Word not returning void. Your own words,
I admit, only hardened me; but those at the end of your letter broke me
up. I am so very far removed from light and fellowship, love and
forgiveness. I doubt if I can ever get back into the way of peace.
"But, anyhow, before the great Feast of Peace upon earth, goodwill
toward men, I can take a first step by fully confessing the great wrong
I did to you and to your husband rather more than a month ago, on the
evening which he spent at my flat.
"Possibly you have found it out already; but possibly not, as I hear he
has been very seriously ill.
"The evening he was here, he was more or less queer and light-headed,
but he was full of you, and of his delight in going home. I suppose this
all helped to madden me. No need to explain why. You know.
"He had found a letter from you at the _Poste Restante_; but, rushing
around to his publishers, etc., had not had time to read it.
"When he remembered it and found it in his pocket-book, he stood with
his back to my stove, in great excitement, and tore it open; I sitting
by.
"As he unfolded the large sheets of foreign paper, a note flew out from
between them, and fell, unseen by him, to the floor.
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