retorted Aunt Philippa . Somehow , her stories began to affect me in spite of myself . There were times when I felt very dreary . Perhaps Aunt Philippa was right . Perhaps men possessed neither truth nor constancy . Certainly Mark had forgotten me . I was ashamed of myself because this hurt me so much , but I could not help it . I grew pale and listless . Aunt Philippa sometimes peered at me sharply , but she held her peace . I was grateful for this . * * * * * But one day a letter did come from Mark . I dared not read it until I was safely in my own room . Then I opened it with trembling fingers . The letter was a little stiff . Evidently Mark was feeling sore enough over things . He made no reference to our quarrel or to my sojourn in Prince Edward Island . He wrote that his firm was sending him to South Africa to take charge of their interests there . He would leave in three weeks ' time and could not return for five years . If I still cared anything for him , would I meet him in Halifax , marry him , and go to South Africa with him ? If I would not , he would understand that I had ceased to love him and that all was over between us .
That , boiled down , was the gist XXXXX Mark 's letter .
If at because for from in of to until with