Miss Lambert ran back to the house. She made a bee-line for the library, sat down at the writing-table, seized a pen and a sheet of paper, and began writing as if inspired. This is what she wrote, in part:

    "My Dear Mr Hancock,—I have written several letters to you in reply to yours, but I tore them up simply because I found it so difficult to express what I wanted to say....[Pg 300] I can never, never, marry you; I don't think I shall ever marry any one, at least, not for a long time ... deeply, deeply respect you, and father says you are the best man he ever met. Why not let us always be friends?... It's a horrible world, and there are so few people who are really nice in it ... you will quite underst............