has spent the evening talking of nothing but himself, his journey,
his wonderful book--the strongest thing he has done yet, etc., etc.,
etc.; till I could have risen up and strangled him with my two hands.
Oh, Helen--my lovely one--he is altogether unworthy of you! I saw a
letter of yours long ago, in which you said he was like a young
sun-god. Handsome he is, I admit. He says he has never felt fitter in
his life, and he looks it. But surely a woman wants more than mere
vitality and vigour and outward beauty of appearance? Heart--he has
none. The wonderful news in your letter has left him unmoved. He thinks
more of a 'cello he has just bought than he does of your little son.
When I remonstrated with him, he rose up and struck me on the mouth. But
I forgave him for your sake, and he now sleeps under my roof.

"Helen, he _must_ have disappointed you over and over again. He will
continue to disappoint you.

"Helen, you loved me once; and when a woman loves once, she loves for
always.

"Helen, if he could leave you alone during seven months, in order to get
local scenery for a wretched manuscript, he will leave you again, and
again, and yet again. He married you for your money; he has practically
admitted it to me; but now that he is making a yearly income larger
than your own, he has no more use for you.

"Oh, my beloved--my queen--my only Love--don't stay with a man who is
altogether unworthy of you! If a man disappoints a woman she has a right
to leave him. He is not what she believed him to be; that fact sets her
free. If you had found out, afterwards, that he was already married to
another, would you not have left him? Well, he _was_ already wedded to
himself and to his career. He had no whole-hearted devotion to give to
you.

"Helen, don't wait for his return. Directly you get this come out here
to me. Bring your little son and his nurse. My flat will be absolutely
at your disposal. I can sleep elsewhere; and I swear to you I will never
stay one moment after you have bid me go. As soon as West has set you
legally free, we can marry and travel abroad for a couple of years;
then, when the whole thing has blown over, go back to live in the old
house so dear to us both.

"Helen, you will have twenty-four hours in which to get away before he
returns. But even if you decide to await his return, it will not be too
late. His utter self-absorption must give you a final disillusion.

"See if his first words to you are n