differently the troubles of the mind are
written in our faces when age has undermined the foundations and all
momentary failure is a presage of a sure defeat. Molly showed her
determination to be brave and calm by immediately setting herself to
read the papers left for her by Mrs. Carteret.

One was in French, a long letter from a lawyer in Florence communicating
Madame Danterre's wishes to Mrs. Carteret. It stated that, owing to the
painful circumstances of the case, his client chose to remain under her
maiden name, and to reside in Florence. Mrs. Carteret was at liberty to
inform Miss Dexter of this, but she did not wish it known to anybody
else. Madame Danterre further asked Mrs. Carteret to make such
arrangements as she thought fit for her daughter to see something of the
world, either in London or by travelling, but she did not wish her to
come to Florence. Otherwise the world was before her, and L3000 a year
was at her disposal. Molly could hardly, it was implied, ask for more
from a mother from whom she had been torn unjustly when she was an
infant. The rest of the letter was entirely about business, giving all
details as to how the quarterly allowance would be paid. In conclusion
was an enigmatic sentence to the effect that, by a tardy act of
repentance, Sir David Bright had left Madame Danterre his fortune, and
she wished her daughter to know that the large allowance she was able to
make her was in consequence of this act of justice. Molly would have had
no inkling of the meaning of this sentence if Mrs. Carteret had come
back to claim the letter from Lady Dawning which she had unintentionally
left among the lawyer's papers. But this last, a closely-written large
sheet of note-paper, lay between the letter from the lawyer in Florence,
and other papers from the family lawyer in London, anent the will of
the late Colonel Dexter and its taking effect on his daughter's coming
of age.

Molly turned carelessly from the question of L2000 and its interest at
three and a half per cent. to the letter surmounted by a black initial
and a coronet.

"My DEAR ANNE,--

"I am not coming to stay in your neighbourhood as I had hoped. I
should have been very glad to have had a talk with you about Molly,
if it had been possible, for her dear father's sake. Indeed, I
think you are far from exaggerating the difficulties of the case.
You are very reluctant to take a house in London, and you say that