They were these: "'MY DEAR AGNES,--My warmest congratulations upon the birth of your little one, and my deepest thanks for all your kindness to me and dear Nellie.

Without your help we should never have been united.

Good-bye, and may God grant us all a happy meeting at some future time.
"'Your ever grateful and devoted friends, "'LEWIS WYNNE and ELLEN VAUGHAN.' "I stared at the letter in a maze of troubled thought, the feeling uppermost in my mind being 'too late! too late! gone for ever, my beloved wife! and alienated from me for ever my little less loved brother!' "'And this, sir,' said Betto, drawing another letter from her pocket, 'I found on Mr.Lewis's table.

I think it is directed to you.' "I hastily tore that open also, and read words that I cannot even now bring myself to repeat.

They were too bitter in their tender upbraiding, in their innocent ignorance of my suspicions.