CHAPTER XL. GOD HELP US ALL
He carefully locked the outer door. Then he lit the lamp, for the candlegave but a flickering light, and he had some important work to do.
Firstly, he picked up the charred fragment of the letter, and smoothedit out carefully and reverently as he would a relic. Tears had gatheredin his eyes, but he was not ashamed of them, for no one saw them; butthey eased his heart, and helped to strengthen his resolve. It was amere fragment that had been spared by the flame, but Armand knew everyword of the letter by heart.
He had pen, ink and paper ready to his hand, and from memory wrote outa copy of it. To this he added a covering letter from himself toMarguerite: