pollin largely agrees with todd, speculating that imlay saw percy shelley in bath and he "somehow failed her", causing her to commit suicide. seymour and others speculate that shelley's only failure was to live up to his financial promises to godwin and it was this that helped push imlay over the edge; she was convinced, like her father, "that the worthy have an absolute right to be supported by those who have the worth to give". todd, on the other hand, agrees with pollin and speculates that imlay went to see mary godwin and shelley. todd argues that imlay had affection for shelley and felt that his home was her only haven. relying on scraps of poetry that shelley may have written after imlay's death, todd concludes that shelley saw her in bath and rejected her pleas because he needed to protect claire's reputation as well as his own at this time. todd also notes that imlay had worn her mother's stays, which were embroidered with the initials "m.w.", and the nicest clothes she owned. she had adorned herself with a swiss gold watch sent to her from geneva by the shelleys and a necklace, in order to make a good impression. after shelley rejected her, todd concludes, imlay decided to commit suicide.