There came over me a moment when I thought the earth was reeling and the air was in tumult, and I wished I had listened to Perry and gone to Belton; at least I would have come to an understanding with David there — especially as I had begun truly to feel the widening of the breach between the King and his subjects at home and in the colonies. Nothing remained before him but abdication — or that I should come forward myself and announce the severing of my relations with the King in the hearing of the world. Since he would not give me up, it was my duty to do so; and this, without doubt, was very hard. I had no way of choosing otherwise if I wished to respect him and to

preserve my own self-respect.

I was afraid David would not believe what I announced, and would think I had done it under pressure; he would never believe that I was giving him up of my own free will. Nor would my preaching and counsel avail, urging him to turn his attention to duty, for he knew his duty. So I thought of a new method of persuasion: to make him understand that our marriage would affect not only the Throne but my reputation, without which I could not face the world. Perry and Herman helped me to write a statement to be distributed to the press, and this is its text: Mrs. Simpson has, throughout the past weeks, avoided any attempt or suggestion of a kind to distress His Majesty or the Throne; but her position has now changed, and she wishes to withdraw from this situation if that would be of any service or of general benefit.

Perry was not satisfied with the language, and wanted me to make my language plainer still — to declare that I had never once thought of marrying the King. But I knew David's temperament through and through, and I could not wound his feelings to that degree; he had borne pains and troubles enough... And so I telephoned David on the afternoon of Monday, January 7, to tell him of my decision. At first he did not believe me; then I felt that he was moved and angry, and he asked me to read him what I had written. When I finished, an interval of silence passed in which I thought David had hung up the telephone from the violence of his anger; but then he said quietly: Do what pleases you — it does not matter to me.

At seven o'clock that evening Perry conveyed the decision to the press, and he was well pleased with what he had done, for it produced a strong reaction in social and political circles — so much so that everyone began to think the crisis was on the point of ending.. My heart lightened when I heard that, and I felt that a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders; and for the first time I slept with an easy mind. When I rose

the next morning I was lively and gay, but I soon found myself facing a problem of a new kind. David spoke to me that same afternoon and told me that the solicitor in charge of my divorce from Ernest Simpson, Mr.