was the first to penetrate his disguise; and that very morning I had taxed him with it, and he had confessed it.  He said then that he was hiding from a woman who was in love with him; and I should not be surprised if it turned out to be true; for he is wonderfully original—­in fact what makes me like him is that he is by far the cleverest man I have ever met; and yet he thinks nothing of himself.  I cannot imagine what he sees in me to care for, though he is evidently ensnared by my charms.  I hope he won’t find out how silly I am.  He called me his golden idol—­”

Henrietta, with a scream of rage, tore the letter across, and stamped upon it.  When the paroxysm subsided she picked up the pieces, held them together as accurately as her trembling hands could, and read on.

“—­but he is not all honey, and will say the most severe things sometimes if he thinks he ought to.  He has made me so ashamed of my ignorance that I am resolved to stay here for another term at least, and study as hard as I can.  I have not begun yet, as it is not worth while at the eleventh hour of this term; but when I return in January I will set to work in earnest.  So you may see that his influence over me is an entirely good one.  I will tell you all about him when we meet; for I have no time to say anything now, as the girls are bothering me to go skating with them.  He pretends to be a workman, and puts on our skates for us; and Jane Carpenter believes that he is in love with her.  Jane is exceedingly kindhearted; but she has a talent for making herself ridiculous that nothing can suppress.  The ice is lovely, and the weather jolly; we do not mind the cold in the least.  They are threatening to go without me—­good-bye!

“Ever your affectionate

“Agatha.”

Henrietta looked round for something sharp.  She grasped a pair of scissors greedily and stabbed the air with them.  Then she became conscious of her murderous impulse, and she shuddered at it; but in a moment more her jealousy swept back upon her.  She cried, as if suffocating, “I don’t care; I should like to kill her!” But she did not take up the scissors again.

At last she rang the bell violently and asked for a railway guide.  On being told that there was not one in the house, she scolded her maid so unreasonably that the girl said pertly that if she were to be spoken to like that she should wish to leave when her month was up.  This check brought Henrietta to her senses.  She went upstairs and put on the first cloak at hand, which was fortunately a heavy fur one.  Then she took her bonnet and purse, left the house, hailed a passing hansom, and bade the cabman drive her to St. Pancras.