et between
them consider themselves competent to get me under their
thumb. I don't intend to be under their thumb. I intend
to be under nobody's thumb but yours; and the sooner the
better. Now you know all about it; but as you shall value
the first squeeze which you shall get when you do come,
don't come till your coming has been properly settled.

Then there was a fourth letter in which she described her troubles,
still humorously, and with some attempt at absolute comedy. But she
certainly wrote with a purpose of making him understand that she was
subjected to very considerable annoyance. She was still determined
not to call upon him for assistance; and she warned him that any
assistance whatever would be out of his power. A lover on the scene,
who could not declare his purpose of speedy marriage, would be worse
than useless. All that she saw plainly,--or at any rate declared that
she saw plainly, though she was altogether unable to explain it to
Frank Jones.

Mrs. Beelzebub is certainly the queen of the devils. I
remember when you read "Paradise Lost" to us at Morony
Castle, which I thought very dull. Milton arranged the
ranks in Pandemonium differently; but there has been a
revolution since that, and Mrs. Beelzebub has everything
just as she pleases. I am beginning to pity Mahomet, and
pity, they say, is akin to love. She urges him,--well,
just to make love to me. What reason there is between
them I don't know, but I am sure she wants him to get me
altogether into his hands. I'm not sure but what she is
Mahomet's own wife. This is a horrid kettle of fish, as
you will see. But I think I'll turn out to be head cook
yet. If God does not walk atop of the devils what's the
use of running straight? But I am sure he will, and the
more so because there is in truth no temptation.

She told me the other day to my face, that I was a fool.
"I know I am," said I demurely, "but why?" Then she came
out with her demand. It was very simple, and did not in
truth amount to much. I was to become just--mistress to
Mr. Moss.

Frank Jones, when he read this, crushed the paper up in his hand and
went upstairs to his bedroom, determined to pack up immediately.
But before he had progressed far, he got out the letter and read the
remainder.

"You," I said, "are an intimate acquaintance of Mr. Moss."

"I am his particular friend," she said, w