Phoebe hastened to apply restoratives, and after a few minutes the lady recovered consciousness and rallied her faculties.

“The letter! the letter, girl! give me the letter!” she gasped in eager tones.

Phoebe picked it up from the carpet, upon which it had fallen, and handed it to her mistress.

Berenice, with trembling fingers, broke the seal and read the letter.  It was from Herman Brudenell, and ran as follows: 

     “London, December 1, 18—­

“Lady Hurstmonceux:  If there is one element of saving comfort in my lost, unhappy life, it is the reflection that, though in an evil hour I made you my wife, you are not called by my name; but that the courtesy of custom continues to you the title won by your first marriage with the late Earl of Hurstmonceux; and that you cannot therefore so deeply dishonor my family.

“Madam, it would give me great pain to write to any other woman, however guilty, as I am forced to write to you; because on any woman I should feel that I was inflicting suffering, which you know too well I have not—­never had the nerve to do; but you, I know, cannot be hurt; you are callous.  If your early youth had not shown you to be so, the last few years of your life would have proved it.  If you had not been so insensible to shame as you are to remorse, how could you, after your great crime, take possession of my house and, by so doing, turn my mother and sisters from their home and banish me from my country?  For well you know that, while you live at Brudenell Hall, my family cannot re-enter its walls!  Nay, more—­while you choose to reside in America, I must remain an exile in Europe.  The same hemisphere is not broad enough to contain the Countess of Hurstmonceux and Herman Brudenell.

“I have given you a long time to come to your senses and leave my house.  Now my patience is exhausted, and I require you to depart.  You are not embarrassed for a home or a support:  if you were I should afford you both, on condition of your departure from America.  But my whole patrimony would be but a mite added to your treasures.

“You have country-seats in England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as a town house in London, a marine villa at Boulougne, and a Swiss cottage on Lake Leman.  All these are your own; and you shall never be molested by me in your exclusive possession of them.  Choose your residence from among them, and leave me in peaceable possession of the one modest countryhouse I have inherited in my native land.  I wish to sell it.

“But you doubtless have informed yourself before this time, that by the laws of the State in which my property is situated, a man cannot sell his homestead without the consent of his wife.  Your co-operation is therefore necessary in the sale of Brudenell Hall.  I wish you to put yourself in immediate communication with my solicitors, Messrs. Kage & Kage, Monument Street, Baltimore, who are in possession of my instructions.  Do this promptly, and win from me the only return you have left it in my power to make you—­oblivion of your crimes and of yourself.

     “Herman Brudenell.”