Lily arrives in Selden’s apartment and apologizes for the circumstances of their last meeting. Regardless, there is a distance between the two of them, a distance that Lily realizes is permanent. She admits her cowardice in turning down his offers of marriage, a cowardice borne out of her fear of living a less affluent life. She confesses to having made a mistake, a mistake she feels has caused Selden to judge her negatively ever since.
Lily asks Selden to remember her, and he responds by offering to help her. She asks Selden to remain her friend, and secretly deposits Bertha’s letters into the open flames of Selden’s fireplace. She says goodbye to Selden with an air of finality.
