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STRAIT IS THE GATE 146

that we were each writing, alas! only to ourselves and that - Jerome! Jerome! Ah! how far apart we were all the time!

“I tore that letter up, it is true; but now I am writing it over again, almost the same. Oh! I do not love you less, my dear! On the contrary, I never before felt so clearly, by my very disturbance, by my embarrassment as soon as you came near me, how deeply I loved you; but hopelessly too, for I must perforce confess it to myself when you were away, I loved you more. I had already begun to suspect so, alas! This longed for meeting has finally shown me the truth, and you too, my friend, must needs be convinced of ít. Good-bye, my much-loved brother; may God keep and guide you! To Him alone can we draw near with impunity.”

And as if this letter were not sufficiently painful, the next day she had added the following postscript:

"I do not wish to let this letter go without asking you to show a little more discretion in regard to what concerns us both. Many a time you have wounded me by talking to Juliette or Abel about things which should have remained private be-

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