midday
Erica had had her full share of pain , but never had she known anything so agonizing as that moment 's sharp revulsion . Mechanically she walked on until she reached home ; nobody was in . She looked into the little sitting room but , only Friskarina sat purring on the rug . The table was strewn with the Saturday papers ; the midday post had just come . She turned over the letters and found one for herself in her father 's handwriting . It was the one thing needed to complete the realization of her pain . She snatched it up with a stifled sob , ran upstairs to her room , and threw herself down on the bed in silent agony .