Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/56
But three days later she received a letter from her husband which caused her no small degree of astonishment. It was written from Boulogne.
It began with a long explanation of settlementa of his property, in which he had been engaged since their departure. The chief feature in the business was that Mrs, Millbourne found herself the absolute owner of a comfortable sum in personal estate, and Frances of a life-interest in a larger sum, the principal to be afterwards divided among her children, if she had any. ‘The remainder of his letter ran aa here-under;
"I have learned that there are some derelictiona of duty which cannot be blotted out by tardy accomplishment. Our evil actions do not remain isolated in the past, walting only to he reversed; like locomotive plants they spread and reroot, till to deatroy the original stem has no material effect in killing them. I made « mistake in searching you out; I admit it; whatever the remedy may be in such cases it is not marriage, and the best thing for you and me is that you do not aee me more. You had better not seek me, for you will nat be likely to find me ; you ara well provided for, and we may do ourselves more harm than good by meeting again. F. M.”
Millborne, in short, disappeared from that day forward. But a searching inquiry would have revealed that, soon after the Millbornes went to Ivell, an Enghishman who did not give the name of Millborne took up his residence in Brussels ; a man who might have been recognized by Mre. Millborne if she had met him. One afternoon in the ensuing summer, when this gentleman was looking over the English papers, he saw the announcement of Miss Frances Frankiland’s marriage. She had become the Rev. Mrs.Cope.
"Thank God !” said the gentleman.
But his momentary satisfaction was far from being