About six o'clock in the afternoon she sent this letter to Mr. Broune's rooms in Pall Mall East, and then sat for awhile alone,--full of regrets. She had thrown away from her a firm footing which would certainly have served her for her whole life. Even at this moment she was in debt,--and did not know how to pay her debts without mortgaging her life income. She longed for some staff on which she could lean. She was afraid of the future. When she would sit with her paper before her, preparing her future work for the press, copying a bit here and a bit there, inventing historical details, dovetailing her chronicle, her head would sometimes seem to be going round as she remembered the unpaid baker, and her son's horses, and his unmeaning dissipation, and all her doubts about the marriage. As regarded herself, Mr. Broune would have made her secure,--but that now was all over. Poor woman! This at any rate may be said for her,--that had she accepted the man her regrets would have been as deep.

She sent this letter to Mr. Broune's rooms in Pall Mall East, and then sat for a while alone, full of regrets. She had thrown away a firm footing. Even at this moment she was in debt - and did not know how to pay her debts without mortgaging her life income. She longed for some staff to lean on. She was afraid of the future. When she was trying to write, her head would sometimes seem to be full of the unpaid baker, and her son's horses, and his dissipation. Mr. Broune would have made her secure - but that was all over. Yet if she had accepted him she would now be feeling equal regret.
