In the delirium of his fever, the
subject never occurred to him. But no doubt existed as to the
nature of his last wishes; and if Herminia herself had been placed
in a similar position to that of the Merrick family, she would have
scorned to take so mean an advantage of the mere legal omission.
By this time, of course, the story of her fate had got across to
England, and was being read and retold by each man or woman after
his or her own fashion. The papers mentioned it, as seen through
the optic lens of the society journalist, with what strange
refraction. Most of them descried in poor Herminia's tragedy
nothing but material for a smile, a sneer, or an innuendo. The
Dean himself wrote to her, a piteous, paternal note, which bowed
her down more than ever in her abyss of sorrow. He wrote as a dean
must,--gray hairs brought down with sorrow to the grave; infinite
mercy of Heaven; still room for repentance; but oh, to keep away
from her pure young sisters! Herminia answered with dignity, but
with profound emotion. She knew her father too well not to
sympathize greatly with his natural view of so fatal an episode.
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