Page:The Works of H G Wells Volume 8.djvu/313

 sea poppies with the sunlight on her face. His heart called out for her in the darkness as one calls for rescue. He knew, as though he had known it always, that he loved Helen no more. He wanted Ann, he wanted to hold her and be held by her, to kiss her again and again, to turn his back for ever on all these other things

He rose late, but this terrible discovery was still there, undispelled by cockcrow or the day. He rose in a shattered condition, and he cut himself while shaving, but at last he got into his dining-room and could pull the bell for the hot constituents of his multifarious breakfast. And then he turned to his letters. There were two real letters in addition to the customary electric-belt advertisement, continental lottery circular and betting tout's card. One was in a slight-mourning envelope and addressed in an unfamiliar hand. This he opened first and discovered a note:

With a hasty movement Kipps turned his mind to the second letter. It was an unusually long one from his Uncle, and ran as follows: