=Scotsman.=—“Light, agreeable, and animated always by a lively play of graceful feeling, the story should not fail to entertain anyone who takes it up.” [Illustration: Sketch of head of woman] THE FULFILMENT BY EDITH ALLONBY AUTHOR OF “JEWEL SOWERS” AND “MARIGOLD” LONDON GREENING & CO. LTD. 1905 [_All Rights Reserved_] _First Published, Dec. 1st, 1905_ CONTENTS PART I PAGE EARTH 1 PART II HELL 135 PART III HEAVEN 267 INTRODUCTION The book for which its author gave her life is now given to the world with profound pity and regret. Pity for a bright young life so suddenly hurried into Eternity, and regret that the circumstances of her tragic death have made it necessary that her work should be published in an incomplete and unrevised state. Had Miss Edith Allonby lived there is no doubt that the story would have been considerably altered and improved before being put into print. Much that is now vague in meaning would have been explained, much that is now retained would have been deleted. The explicit terms of her last letters make the task of bringing out _The Fulfilment_ a hard and anxious one for her executors, her relatives and her publishers. She wished the book to be published word for word as she wrote it, as can be seen from her last letter to her publisher, quoted below. Her last letter to her relatives was much to the same effect. It will show the responsibility which had to be faced. “I have received your letter and the enclosed criticism. Thank you for both. I have read the criticism through but it has not altered me in my decision. He has said what I know will be the general opinion of the world. Most of the views I had expressed in the beginning part of _Marigold_, and you will remember how those were received—as ‘uncouth attempts at satire,’ ‘silly remarks,’ ‘a farrago of nonsense,’ ‘a silly and pretentious book.’ “I have told you I do not mind criticism, neither do I. But it hurts me to the very soul that people should so misunderstand that which is true. God knows with what purity of intention I wrote the first chapters of _Marigold_—never meaning to give offence, but how in this world can it be avoided?