I have played a surly part. I may be accused of having been to you both a Dmitri Roudin and an Iago. I beg you to believe that it has not been easy for me. I have uttered the earnest word, have driven you on by the goad of friendship, which drives far. I looked upon the days that came tripping toward you out of the blue-white horizon of time and saw them gray for a dear woman, gray and silent as the tomb over a dead love, and heavy hearted for a man who is my son. Ever wholly yours, DANE KEMPTON. XXXVIII FROM HESTER STEBBINS TO HERBERT WACE STANFORD UNIVERSITY. December 15, 19--. Over and ended. It shall be as I said last night. Herbert, there is no call for anger; believe me, there is not. I am doing what I cannot help doing. You have not changed, but my faith in you has, and I cannot pretend to a happiness I do not feel. Oh, but I laugh, my very dear one, I laugh that I could seem to choose to wrest myself from you. Did you at one time love me? That morning of wild sunshine when you took my hand and asked me to be your wife seems very long ago. I should have understood--the blame is all mine--I should have known you did not love me, I should have been filled with anger and shame instead of happiness. The blame is all mine. Last night, while you were speaking, I was standing in the window wondering what all the trouble was about. I could afford to be calm since I knew I was not hurting you very deeply. At most I was disappointing a very self-sufficient man. How do women find courage, O God, to take from men who love them the love they gave? No such ordeal mine? Farewell, Herbert. Let us think calmly of each other since we have helped each other for so long a stretch of life. Farewell, dear. Always your friend, HESTER STEBBINS. XXXIX FROM HESTER STEBBINS TO DANE KEMPTON STANFORD UNIVERSITY. December 18, 19--.