Studies in Wives

l be changed. Marriage will be allowed for a certain period, say ten

be a model will. You need simply put down, in as few words as are legally permissible

dent smiling glance. Then he turned and walked quickly over to the narrow, old-fashioned, balconied window which, commandi

the slow-moving grey waters of the Thames; and Dering's eager eyes travelled on till he saw, detaching itself aga

in one of these houses would cost us a tremendous lot; even beyond our means, Wingfield?" and aga

o to Louise? All right, I

notice of the, to him, absurd question concerning the rent of floors in

ur wife. Now, should you have the misfortune to lose Louise, to whom would you wish to devise this fifteen thousand pounds? It's possi

d-humour. "Oh! you know what I mean; I always have thought husbands and wives-who care, I mean-ought to die on the

table, and not even the cheap, ill-made clothes could hide the graceful lines of the tall, active figure, not

divided equally between the young Hintons and your kids," an

my one real friend. Of course it's possible now,"-an awkward shy break came into his voice-"it's possible now, I say, that w

eyes; then, picking up his hat and stic

s hands mechanically sorted the papers and letters lying on his table into neat little

an articled clerk to a good firm of old-established attorneys. Again, later, they had come together once more, sharing a modest lodging, while Dering earned a small uncertain income by contributing to the literary

with the help of a small legacy, had chosen to marry a Danish g

d herself so unpractical during t

ith his own stolid, unimaginative wife, Kate. As he did so he wondered whether, after all, Dering had not k

painfully so, of the incessant watchful struggle with money difficulties, never mentioned while the struggle was in being, for only the rich can affor

help of even the least adequate servant. The women of her nation are taught housewifery as an indispensable fem

ost valuable clients to appoint his clever if eccentric friend secretary to a company formed to exploit a new invention. The work had proved congenial; Dering had done admi

had just received, though as he did so he knew well enough that he could not br

cal effect of the conversation, there suddenly came a sound of hurrying feet up the shallow oak sta

nstinctively looked round the bare spacious room-"No, I didn't leave anyt

r, and placed himself astride on it, an action which to the other suddenly seemed

it suddenly occurred to me that making a will may n

ll.' What I really want to get at, old man, is whether my wife, if she became a widow, would have to giv

d. The question to

yed by her would see to it. By the way, I suppose you were married in Denmark?" He frowned, annoyed with himself for having forgotten a fact with which he

table which stood between himself and Wingfield; a curious look, a look half humoro

ed in Denmark. Neither were we married in En

r, met for a moment; but Wingfield, to the other's sudden

lk he walked, with short, quick strides, from the

han I could do, the utter absurdity of making such a contract as that of marriage-which of all contracts is the most intimately personal, and which least affects the interests of those outside the contracting parties-the only legal contract which can't be r

of Dering's face, but the de

r himself. He had felt for a moment

urprised, and that in spite of our old theoretical talks and discussions, concerning-well, this subject. But I don't doubt that in the circums

ly: "But even now I don't really understand what

posite his friend. He felt a great wish to justify h

e first time there came a defensive note in the eager voice. "You see the idea-that of leasehold marriage? We used to talk about it, you and I, of course only as a Utopian possibility. All I can say is that I had the good fortune to meet with a woman with whom I was able to try the expe

-has no one ever known?" ask

e very intimate after we went to Bedford Park, and Louise thought Gerda ought to know. But it made no difference-n

creature, Jack Hinto

a may have told him, though for my part I don't believe that husbands and wive

that you have come into this money, your marrying becomes a positive duty. Are you aware that if you were run over and killed on your way home to-day Louise would have no standing? that s

years and a half," he said. "Our wedding day was the first of Septemb

reason to remember that hundred pounds legacy, for ten pounds of it had gone to help him out

ere horribly poor, perhaps poorer than even you ever guessed, we were divinely happy

'll be married at once, and I'll take her off for another and a longer

one, shutting the door behind him, and leav

ad known how to work her way up to a position of great trust and responsibility in a City house, so winning the esteem and confidence of her employers that they had again and again asked her to return to them after her marr

-Kate had become exceedingly fond of Louise-no, indeed, but on Dering. Kate had never cordially "taken" (a favourite word of hers, that) to Wingfield's friend; she thought him affec

t instinctively, to the garden which lay so nearly opposite his friend's office windows. He wante

he was very proud of it-but he had often felt, during all those years, that he was being treacherous to the man who was, after all, his best friend; an

sound advice. This unexpected, this huge legacy made all the difference. Besides, Dering knew well enough, when he examined his own

sistent he would have refused to pay certain taxes-in fact, to have been wholly consistent during the last ten years would have probably la

thought, a legitimate pride in the knowledge that in this one all-important matter, so deeply affectin

pensable to him now than she had been during the days when she was still the "sweet stranger whom he called his wife." He remembered once saying to Wingfield that the ideal ma

r-recurrent and enchanting surprises. Her foreign birth and upbringing gave her both original and unsuspected points of view about everything English, and he had often thoug

ce so practical and so cultivated, so pure-minded and so large-hearted? Perhaps he was half aware that his heaven was of his own creation, but th

t with dismay, slightly hysterical! But all that would disappear, utterly, during the first few days of their coming travels; and even he, so he now reminded hims

his way round swiftly, each buoyant step a challenge to fate, to the Members' Entrance, and so across the road to the gate which leads into what was once the old pa

to realise all that lay about him, he was filled with a sincere if half voluntarily comic indignation. It annoyed him to feel that this national heritage was still a church; why could not Westminster Abbey be treated as are the Colosseum in

d moving across the choir, a group of four people

Agatha and Mary Hinton, the motherless girls of the Danish woman to whom Louise had been so much devoted; and the fourth figure was that of Louise herself. His wife's back was turned to

finally disappear round a pillar. How pleased Louise would be when he told her of his latest scheme, that of commissioning the unfortunate Hinton to paint her portrait! If only the man could be induced to work, he might really make somet

the incorrigible idler. Yet, Dering had been very sorry for Hinton at the time of poor Mrs. Hinton's death, and he liked to think that now he would be able to do the artist a good turn. He had even thought very seriousl

ward one. Louise had always intensely wished to have a child-nay, children-and now, if it only depended on him, and if Nat

h dearer to his wife than to himself. Dering was a Londoner, the son of a doctor who had practised for many years in one of the City parishes, and in his heart he had much preferred the

own, and of none is this more true than of Bedford Park. Encompassed by poor and populous streets, within a stone's throw of what is still one of

ll enthusiast-struck Dering with a sense of unwonted pleasure. As he put his latch-key in the front door he remembered that his wife had told him that their young Danish servant was

ff his boots, he called out to her, though the door between his room and hers was shut: "Do come in here, for I have so much

lsewhere, and he and Louise had ever practised, the one to the other, the minor courtesies of life. Before going downstairs he also tidied his room, as far a

g-room, where he found Louise standing by the

id in a constrained, hesitating voice; "why did you not come up and speak to us?

should have joined you, but I had just been spending an hour with Wingfi

ment, but she

oman, and this had made her seem, to eager,

of his sentence, "Well, everything is settled-even to my will. Bu

that." Louise spoke very slowly, and in a low voice. "I

and sorry. It was almost the first time in their joint live

is such that in case of my sudden death you would have no right to any of this money. Besides, apart from that fact, if I trusted to my own small legal

reeable; he felt a pang of impatient regret that he had spoken to his wif

us glances. Suddenly he became aware that her lip was trembling, and that her eyes were full

as quite sympathetic; he thoroughly understood; I think I might even say that he thoroughly agrees with our point

lder to her waist, and he held her to him, u

cause we have been to a registry office, or spent a quarter of an hour in a church! I do think that we should follow his advice. He will let me know to-morrow what formalities have to be fulfilled to

ged herself from the strong encircling arm, he could

gallantly endured poverty, the constant anxiety, h

more!" he exclaimed. "There's n

erstand what you mean. It is surely too late for us now to talk of ma

he spoke the language, she had remained ve

Wingfield has made it quite clear to me that we shal

bling; "it is not as if you were likely to die before September;

came into Dering's mind. He felt strongly moved and deeply touched. This

not imagine-that I am thi

e word, looked up straight into Dering's face. "No, it

ong partnership, felt as if she was with a stranger. "I want to thoroughly understand your point of view. Do you mean

nism, that raised in her a feeling of resentment, and renewed her courage. "Please

her hands still trembled,

al, but I as fully believed that with you that same feeling would be only temporary. I was ready to remain with you as long as you would have me do so; but I felt sure that you would grow tired of me some day, and I told myself-sec

hould grow tired of you,-that

ranger who has suddenly revealed some sinister a

you so well-ah, Philip, I did love you so-that I would have come to you on any terms, as indeed I did come on terms very injurious t

fiercely, "by God,

he hesitated. "Yes, I think I may trul

hen I should wish to be free. I have gradually regained possession of myself, and, though I know I must fulfil all my obligations to you for the time I promised, I l

er voice gained a certain sombre confidence, and a flood of awful, ho

are going to do? I know you have sometimes regretted your work; d

ddenly girlish, "that will not be necessary. I have, as you know, regretted my work, and of late I have sometimes thought that, things being

suddenly, hoarsely; "I could

the look, the intonation, rather than the wo

d become red. His mind glanced quickly over their comparatively small circle of friends and acquaintances-firs

aving me for another m

hesitated f

s, to make me his wife, I mean his legal wife,"-she gave Dering a quick, strange look-"has great need of me, far more so than you ever had. My feeling for him is not in any way akin to what was once my feeling for you; that does not com

d take up its stand by her side-Jack Hinton, with his weak, handsome face, and shifty, pleading eyes; his two plain, neglect

ad their common barren past, to fig

an whose repudiation of himself only seemed to make more plainly visible the bonds which linked them the one to the other. Then he turned away,

h himself. And yet, when striding along the dimly-lighted, solitary thoroughfares, the stillness about hi

illiantly lighted High Road, now full of glare, of sound, and of movement, for throngs of workers, p

ed half-uttered sentences, and he argued with himself, not so loudly that those about him coul

en so fond of her, persistently intervened, and refused to be thrust away. His own present intolerable anguish made him, against his will, retrospectively understand Gerda's long-drawn-out agony. He remembered, with new sharp-edged concern and pity, her quiet endurance of those times

rt time for thought in sorrowing over this poor dead woman? And, in swift answer, there ca

a creature fulfilled no useful purpose in the universe. Men hung murderers; and was Hinton, who had done his wife to death with refin

come his legal wife ten years ago, the thought of what s

self into a stable background to all Dering's subsequent thou

ng up and down for over an hour; he also became aware, for the first time, that his bare, h

few lines which later played an important part in determining, to the satisfaction of

own in his pocket-b

's, if Dunn be still o

ful if Hinton ever paid him-in fact, there can be no doubt that Hinton did not pay him. I there make

ently noticed in the pawnbroker's window, and I give him five shillings for showing m

This is important. It

quietly kill him and then kill myself. If the children are still up, I must, of course,

him, for he had put down exactly what he meant to do, and in case of doubt or

. Finally he decided that there was no need to do so. They knew of his legacy; they were awa

d, if she would realise, from what he had saved her by that which he was about to do. His knowledge of her character made him feel sure-and there was infinite comfort in the thought-that she would remain s

or, a man called Johnstone, who might so easily have been out, was at home; and, though actually giving a little stag party, he good-naturedly c

you were attending the late Mrs. Hinton. In fact I've come to-n

face. It seemed strange, at that moment intolerably hard, that this man, who looked so much less alive, so much less int

a certain eagerness. "Then do I understand that you are acting f

good fortune. The Hintons' account had long since passed into that class of doctor's bills which is only kept on the books wi

nd comforter to the distracted household. And then such a pretty woman, too, the very type-quiet, sensible, self-contai

n and attractive-looking. What was it he had heard about these people quite lately, in fact, that very day? Why, of course. One of his old lady patients

s account with Mr. Hinton bear rather more relation to the actual number of visits he had been compelled to pay to that unfortunate hou

that I am starting this very night for a long journey, a

ame all plea

um of money, and-and, though my will is actually being drawn

nsible thing to do! We medical men see much trouble caused by foolish postponement of such matte

not seem to have heard what the doctor had said. "If I might ask yo

ve misgiving crosse

ave no call to interfere, Mr. Dering; but if a lar

p. For the firs

er to sundry young people in whom we are both interested. If I die intestate, I understand that distant re

d, Bedford Park, and after her death to be divided equally between the children of my esteemed friend, James Wingfield, solic

g the doctor's address, and the two witnesses, Johnstone himself, and a friend whom he fetched out of his smoking-r

, as he hoped, new friend, Dering suddenly

twelve o'clock would do very well. In fact, Hinton won't be ready for you before. And, Dr. Johnstone-in view of the trouble to which you may be put--" Dering thrust another bank-note into the other man's hand. "I know you ought to hav

, clattered discordantly a hansom cab. There was promise of a bright warm day, such a day as yesterday

elegram which was the cause of his being here, driving, oh! how slowly, along this fantastically empty thorough

e come at once at once at on

t fluttered in his hand, looked down with f

n for some time before he or his wife realised that the loud hammering sound concerned themselves. Even then it had been Kate who had at last roused herself and gone downsta

d talk and aimless conjectures. It had seemed long before he found a derelict cab willing to drive him from Regent's Terrace to Bedford Park, but now-well, thank God, he was

calling Dering's familiar trick of reiteration. Then suddenly he thought of Hinton, the artist for whom both he and his friend had h

viously been despatched by Hinton, who might just as well have waited for morning. How stupid of him not to have realised this at once, the more so that No. 8, Lady Rich Road,

human hands. Dr. Johnstone, standing opposite a police inspector in what had been poor Mrs. Hinton's cherished, if untidy and shabby, little sitting

tle contemptuous perhaps of a medical man capable of

what was in the man's mind? You weren't upset like this last year over

at poor wretch Hinton that's upset me," he muttered, "I don't mind death. It's-it'

other-well, I'm pretty sure he'll cheat Broadmoor, and that

little gate. When the front door bell pealed through the house he added, "You go to the door, doctor; whoever it is h

ack room fitted up as a studio, where still lay, in dreadful juxtaposition, the dead and the dying,

rvants who had of late coped with the difficulties of the Hinton household, and whose scan

hrough the house, and the doctor, walkin

iven down from town in response to this telegram. I

s you who were m

g man, whom he took to be one of Hinton's dissipated friends

rm me where I can see Mr. Hinton?" he repeated impatiently. "I suppose he is with Mrs. Dering, at No. 9?" and the other noticed th

nerve was completely gone; for hours he had been engaged in what had proved both a terrible and a futile task, that of attempting to relieve the physical agony of a man for

re you for something of a shock." And, turning round, beckoning to the other to follow him,

ly recoiled and stopped short, so dreadful and

, an ever-present, torturing vision, full of mingled horror and mys

n window, and various plain deal studio properties pushed back against the wall, lay, stretched ou

ite linen, which concealed chin and forehead, hair and ears, while the head was oddly supported by a broad band or sling fastened with safety-pins-Wingfield's eyes took note of every detail-to the side of the couch. Under the blanket, which was

tood a powerful-looking woman in nursing dress. Wingfield's gaze, after wandering round the large, bare room, returned and again clung to the sinister immobile form which he longed to be

indifferent and appealing eyes, which seemed to stare fixedly beyond the group of men by the door; a

le to throw some light on the whole affair," and he felt himself

n?" and he looked imploring

him under a sheet, behind that screen. Your friend shot him dead first, and then cut his own th

ing like relief. The torturing suspens

in a quiet, mechanical voice; and Joh

ildren with her. For-well, it often is so in such cases, you know-the presence of his wife seems pos

ed? Has Dering been able to give no expl

peak again. He wrote a few words to his wife, but they amounted to n

o you yours

had suddenly become aware, during the last fe

d sore. "Mr. Dering seems to have come into a large sum of money,

consequence, now that this gentleman

ul, laboured moving of the pencil across the slate which had been hurriedly fetched some two ho

se ..." and then at last: "I mean t