Page 562 - of-human-bondage-

‘Look here, there’s only one thing you can do. Write to
her, and tell her the thing’s over. Put it so that there can be
no mistake about it. It’ll hurt her, but it’ll hurt her less if you
do the thing brutally than if you try half-hearted ways.’
Philip sat down and wrote the following letter:
My dear Norah,
I am sorry to make you unhappy, but I think we had bet-
ter let things remain where we left them on Saturday. I don’t
think there’s any use in letting these things drag on when
they’ve ceased to be amusing. You told me to go and I went.
I do not propose to come back. Good-bye.
Philip Carey.
He showed the letter to Griffiths and asked him what
he thought of it. Griffiths read it and looked at Philip with
twinkling eyes. He did not say what he felt.
‘I think that’ll do the trick,’ he said.
Philip went out and posted it. He passed an uncomfort-
able morning, for he imagined with great detail what Norah
would feel when she received his letter. He tortured himself
with the thought of her tears. But at the same time he was
relieved. Imagined grief was more easy to bear than grief
seen, and he was free now to love Mildred with all his soul.
His heart leaped at the thought of going to see her that after-
noon, when his day’s work at the hospital was over.
When as usual he went back to his rooms to tidy him-
self, he had no sooner put the latch-key in his door than he
heard a voice behind him.
‘May I come in? I’ve been waiting for you for half an
hour.’

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