Studies in Wives

n, stood in an hotel bedroom overlook

ent outlook not half a mile away from where he stood, for he and Rosaleen had spent the first days of their married life in one of those vast hotels which, overlooking t

; then he drew back sharply, feeling, as he now often felt when he was alone, that he was living through an unreal, a nightm

where had been placed his portmanteau. Slowly, indifferently, he turned the k

tract his attention, and on it was written-in the sprawling, unformed handwriting which was, perh

t, there most surely would he find his wife Rosaleen's address. It was this, then, that the Irishwoman had in

nderstood the type of man

if this had not been so the old servant would never have thought of trying to bring them together again-the claims of others, especially those of the woman from whom he had only parted th

d across to the window; and then his agit

t well be a trifling matter, something wanted, maybe, for the child. Th

was open, and out of it there slipped into his

n Tara (The

bbey

nster,

ened down, put determinedly from him for so long, sprang into life. Now that he knew where to find her, he became possessed b

the form of a fine ruby ring, which was despatched to Miss Wellow in lie

ours dragged on, bringing him closer to the moment which must see his return to Market Dalling-to Matilda Wellow-the fact that he

elf ever furtively seeking her.... Such chance meetings are not impossible; they

ion that she was there, close to him, would bring the wild hope that in a moment his hungry heart would be satisfied, his conscience cheated. And then the woma

field saw Rosaleen in every woman's shape that passed him by. He grew afraid; and af

ext afternoon at five o'clock. And then, for the first time since he had known that Rosaleen was in London, his sleep was restful and unbroken. But in the early morning he dreamed a curious dream;

es stretching before him a lifelong period of servitude; but with that feeling came the gloomy belief that he had conquered the te

me two hours of the time when he knew he must leave London, and, having so decided, he checked his impatience by various devices, packing his port

y Street, quietest and most sequestered of urban backwaters, he lingered for awhile, suddenly

d walking slowly down the middle of the stre

green oasis opposite the row of small eighteenth-century houses which stood on the other side of the street. They wer

and the colour rushed into his face, flooding it under the sunburn; following a sudden, an irre

n the doorstep, but at last a thin, fretful wo

en Tara live here

gh,"-the woman spoke with weary

n would be so simple, and he was bewildered by the ease wit

iny landing. "Stop," he said almost inaudibly, "I must tell you

ell, and the woman began running heavily down the littl

presence, and yet his wife had stamped something of herself on the shabbily furnished sitting-room. Certain dainty trifl

ght to be there. After a moment's hesitation, he walked over to the window, and looked out into

of late so passionately longed to hear. He turned sharply round, and noticed for the first time that the door

me in, but I won't be a moment-I didn't expect you yet. Miss Lonsdale will be in long before you leave, I hop

h never won. Unconsciously he visualised the speaker; he seemed to see the quick, bird-like movements with which she was taking off her hat and

David Banfield, who was there, and not the stranger whom she had appare

d saw her face, lit up by that touch of wholly innocent coque

ween her and the window, a peculiar-to Banfield a very terrible-change o

"Tell me quickly, David!

"She's all right. I

en she sat down, and Banfield let his eyes r

perfection of her delicate profile, the determined, well-shaped mouth,-then saw with a pang that there were a few threads of white in the dark curly hair which, with her bright blue eyes, had always been Rosal

er arms round his neck and kissed him in sign of gratitude. "It's kind of you to let me go, Dave!" she had whispered. He had oft

from him, her eyes fix

u come here, David, and frighten me like this? Why hav

ere came over him the shamed fear that she had alrea

saw, that his wife's eyes were filling, brimming over with indignant tears. "We don't have those things a

, and now, on hearing her last words, the man before her told himself with a pang that he had indeed acted

courage as he spoke-"that you wanted to be f

ull life you made me lead at Market Dalling. That's why I wrote that foolish-that wicked letter. I thought it would mak

strained silence. T

d to me once when I was ill before. He's a friend of Carrie Lonsdale-you remember her, David? The truth is, my voice h

asked Banfield in a very

at him, her eyes meetin

ly, "you need not fear that I s

violent, primitive jealousy. The name of the other man had never been

"that you can always depend o

aw the change which came over her husband's face and as t

to say such a thing to me! I am free to do exactly what I

e man she had believed David Ban

e belonged to him, only to him, solely to him, and that even if she had in a moment of aberration, of madness-his mind refused to follow the thought to its logical conclusion-not even in the most secret recess of his

r, and put his ha

ck to me-to make a fresh start. You said just now that it was Market Dalling and our life there that you hated-not me. I've had a very good offer to go to South Africa, to Durban, and settle there. There's e

ill. She made no effort to

gh you think so ill of me?" There was a wondering doubt, a softer

is teeth

why I came. Mary Scanla

at Market Dalling thinks I'm a bad woman? Your sis

uld he make? Of course, everyone at Market Dalling thought Rosaleen a bad woman. For the matter of that, none of them had e

r a few moments in completely forgetting, become once more very present to him. With a fee

e a fresh start. I haven't so much right to blame you as you, Rosa

m under his hand and

ou tried! For the matter of that, I never could see-I never have seen-why people are-why people make--" she see

ment he was too absorbed in his own feelings, in his

n, shall we both forgive each ot

ith a gesture of surrender, she held out her hands. "I'm ashamed of what I d

suffocating joy; almost any other man would have felt her wo

make up her mind to a certain course, and then, with a quick mo

fumbling of a key. A moment later she came b

sy will never know now the shame you put on her mother. I've often thought how you would

tied with blue ribbon, and on it was written: "In case of my deat

noticed that she still wore her wedding ring,-a sheet of notepaper on which was an attestation, sworn before a Commissioner of O

stammered. "

e play or sing on Sunday. And then, your sister Kate! She never gave me a kind word or look! D'you think that was pleasant?" she asked fiercely,-t

he brushed the angry tears from her cheeks; there came

in time to see my husband. David, this is Dr.

eld out hi