Studies in Wives

e half-moon terraces which line and frame the more aristocratic side of Regent's Park, and which may indeed be said to have pr

e was living there; very early in his life he had decided that no one could order a plain yet palatable meal as wel

urrying round the Crescent. He rose with a certain quick deliberateness, and going out into the hall, opened the front door just in time to avoid the rat-tat-tat. Then, the one lette

ourt, Thro

er 4th

r J

n Greenfield, and he thinks it probable that the decree will be made absolute t

fect. B

. Tap

d two holograph lines: "Glad you have the children

inctive feeling of intense relief; then, with a not less instinctive feeling of impatien

lly, as most men feeling as he then felt would have done, "I'll b

e rest of his dinner; so he rang twice and had the table cleared, frowning at the parlour-maid as she hurried thr

e, cheerless drawing-room upstairs; instead, he sat down by the fire, and set himself

pations, Mr. Tapster found that his thoughts drifted aimlessly, not to the future where he would

apster. How he had scorned the gambler, the spendthrift, the adulterer,-in a word, all those whose actions bring about their own inevitable punishment! He had always been self-respecti

ly remembered what had been good and pleasant in his former state. He was aware that his brother William-and William's wife, Maud-both thought that even now he had much to be thank

a crowd of unmanageable and yet indispensable thieves,-for so Mr. Tapster voicelessly described the five servants whose loud talk and laug

little boys and a charming baby girl, into three unruly, fretful imps, setting him at defiance, and terrorising their two attendants, who, t

ignated the divorce case in which he had figured as the successful petitioner, he wonder

at but for them, and for their insistence on it as the only proper course open to him, he would never have taken action. All would have been forgiven an

ate, his kind brother and sister. To them both-or rather to Maud-he really owed the break-up of his life, for, when all was said and done, it had to be admitted (though Maud did not like him to remind her of it) that Flossy

ld refrain from telling Maud what he thought of her conduct in this matter, the more

wife alone for as long as three months. Why hadn't she said so at the time, then? Of course, he had thought that he could leave Flo

king absently, as he did so, at the large Landseer engraving of which he was naturally proud. If only he could forget

y, wicked, ungrateful Flossy, had disappeared out of his life. This being so, why think of h

the Decree had been made Absolute?-so Mr. Tapster

bout her, had been a loving and, in her own light-hearted way, a careful mother. But though Flossy would remain the mother of his children-odd that the Law hadn't provided for that contingency-she would soon be absolutely nothing, a

admirably conducted, than the way the whole matter had been carried through. His brother William, and William's solicitor, Mr. Greenfield, had mana

rable fortune," so had he been justly described, and Counsel, without undue insistence on irrelevant detail, had drawn a touching-and a true-picture of Mr. Tapster's one romance, his marriage eight years before

rribly clearly, and he wondered, not for the first time, how

or-nothing young fellow of her own age lacking the means to support a wife in decent comfort,-such a fellow, for instance, as the wretched "Co." in the case. While with Mr. Tapster-why, she had had everything the heart of woman coul

nfield had discovered about him, it was most improbable that he would ever be in a position to do so-she would certainly reappear on the Tapster horizon; Mr. Greenfield said "they" always did. In that case, it was arranged that William should pay her a weekly

ink of the future and of your children. A hundred and fifty pounds

g that side of the case before me. I have, however, decided on the amount named; should I see re

ths ago, and though Mr. Tapster still held true to hi

ght, when going for a moment into the night nursery,-poor Mr. Tapster now only enjoyed his children's company when he was quite sure that they were asleep,-he had had an extraordinary, almost a physical, impression

the one letter Flossy had written to him just

, but simply because she was beginning to hanker after her children. Maud had described the letter as shameless and unwomanly in the extreme; and even William, who had never judg

und-he knew it for that of the front door being first opened and then shut again, ext

nk that servants and their evil ways could be circumvented so easily! Of course, the maids went in and out by the front door in the evening, and t

y Maud. At last she had suggested that her brother-in-law should engage a lady housekeeper, and the luckless James Tapster had even interviewed several applicants for the post after they had been chosen-sifted

e; she had reminded him with a smile which she had honestly tried to make pleasant, that there is, after all, no fool like an old fool-about women! This insinuation had made Mr. Tapster very angry, and straightway he had engaged a respectable cook-housekeeper

een herself a mother, she had, of course, been able to form a clear and unprejudiced judgment as

, but this was doubtless owing to the fact that there had been something gravely amiss w

cond baby, also a girl, who had only lived one day. All this being so, was it not strange that a young matron who had led, for some four years out of the eight years her married life had lasted, s

thing very like an inward groan, his two sons possessed every vice of which masculine infancy is capable. They had become-so he was told by their indignant nurses-the terror of the w

sturbed by a curious little sound-that of someone creepin

the hall and catching Nurse on her way to the kitchen? Maud had declared, very early in the day, that there should be as little communication as possible between the kitchen

ind him had slowly swung open. This was intolerable! The parlour-maid had again and again been told that, whatever might have be

he shifty-eyed, impudent-looking woman he had thought to see, there stood close to him, so close that he could almost have touched her-Flossy,

neasily upon him, took instant possession of Mr. Tapster-ang

him some curious trick, for the figure at which he

e standing before him, he realised that not so would memory have conjured up the pretty, bright little woman of whom he had once been proud. Fl

gan playing nervously with the fringe of the dining-table cover, and the

itself that a feeling of poignant regret, of pity for her-as well as, of

gift of so many otherwise unintelligent women,-the whole of Mr. Tapster's future, to

d resting on the back of the chair, was holding two keys which he recognised at once as his property. The one was a replica of the latch-key which always hung on his watch-chain, while

shrewdness for which William and Maud would never have given him credit, wh

connivance of the servants, into his children's nursery at any hour of the day or night convenient to herself. With the aid of that Enclosure key she had no doubt ofte

how they must have laughed to think that he was being so deceived and taken in! Wh

onder that his heart, hardening, solidifying, expelled any fee

vantage of my great distress of mind not to return them with the things of which I sent you a list by my brother William. I cannot believe"-and now Mr. Tapster lied as only the very truthful can lie on occasion-"I cannot believe

had last seen it-an expression of obstinacy which he had once well known and always dreaded. It had been Flossy's one poor weapon against her husband's superior

oke up and knew that their own mother was there! But more than once, James, I've felt like going after that Society which looks after badly-treated children-for the last nurse you had for them was so cruel! If she hadn

s; she was speaking in angry gasps, and what she said actually made James Taps

yself into your house, and why, too, I have now come here to ask yo

t travelled surely if slowly.

se, I mean-no mistress? Tell me that, Flossy. You should

know-I did

. "You didn't think," he observed impress

from her own lips-why Flossy had done such a shameful and

low voice. "I wasn't unkind to you, was I?

pose I could ever make you understand, and yet"-she looked at him depre

But he had always been perfectly sane-she knew that well enough! As for her calling herself mad, that was a mere figure of speech. Of course, in a sense she had been m

en them. Then Mr. Tapster slowly rose

t. I mean, I suppose I may take it that

has gone and left me. His father made him take a j

e then?" asked Mr. Tapster suspici

o get something to do"-she hesitated, then offered the lame explanation, "just to have something to

ould have told you that I had arranged for you to have an a

a material sense, comfortable! If he acceded to her wish, if he made up his mind to forgive her, he would have to begin life all over again

nsiderable expense to which he had been put in connection wi

e of a long and of what had been, till this last year, a very prosperous life, Mr. Tapster had always steered his safe course by what may

would not be right for me to

once! People do forgive each other-sometimes. I don't ask you to be as kind t

now, that she didn't say a word of wanting to come back to him; and yet he had bee

well and prosperous, he would have felt injured, and yet her pinched face and shabby clothes certainly repelled him. So again he shook his head, and there

ed with him should "look like that" in his brother's office,-"he will tell you what you had better do. I'm quite ready to make you a handsome allowance-in fact, it's all arranged. You need not have anything m

see the children

be right for me t

ny more now,"-with no unkindly intent he conclud

of farewell, he saw a very strange, almost a desperate, look come over Flossy's face, and, to h

she had not thanked him for what he knew to be a very generous and unusual provision on the part of an injured husband.... Mr. Tapster to

Flossy's nearness. What could she be doing?

n. How obstinate she was-how obstinate and ungrateful! Mr. Tapster wished he had the courage to go out into the hall and fac

or,-it slammed, and again Mr. Tapster felt pained to think how strangely indifferent Flossy wa

enceforth-or so at least Mr. Tapster believed-the Flossy of the past, the bright,

d have her in their power. They would not behave unkindly to her-far from it; in fact, they would arrange for her to live with some quiet, religious lady in a country town a few hours from London. Mr. Tapster had not evo

the strange little interview, for he wanted to te

ter all, needn't be mentioned to William. He felt rather ashamed of having as

onnection with James Tapster before-save once. Oddly enough, that occasion also had been connected w

ry sadly to-night-concerning the spring and a young man's fancy; but Maud had been really disagreeable. She had said, "It's no use talking to you, James, for you're mad-quite mad!" He had argued the matter out with her good-temperedly, and William had suppo

to-night; for, after all, it had nothin

y ten minutes to nine. He couldn't go to bed yet. Perhaps he would do well to join a club. He had always thought rat

ish that Flossy had re

still, it was wrong on his part not to have thought of it. A pound a week for everything! No wonder she looked half starved. Why, his own household bills, exclusive of wine or beer, had worked out, since he ha

to go on Sunday mornings, for he was proud of being among those old-fashioned folk who still regard Sun

o tell himself that it was disgraceful that vulgar street brawlers should invade so quiet a residential thoroughfare as C

n leaving the pavement for the other side of the road. What could be the matter? Something very

isurely way to the wide window; he drew aside the thi

nt, for a string of people, men, women, and boys, were hurrying into the Enclosure garden-that sacred place set a

e or shameful nature is taking place-a fire, for instance, or a brawl-might easily bring infectious diseases on to those gravel paths where the little Tapsters and their like

e, but now the need for human companionship was so strong upon him that he s

policeman-in fact, his friend the officer who was always at point duty some yards from

cher at the window saw that the shadowy crowd which had managed to force its way into the Park hung together, like bees swarming, on the further lawn through which flowed the ornamental water. With the gleami

a sense towards himself, a rather pitiful little procession. Someone had evidently been injured, and that seriously, for four men, bearing a sheep-hurdle on which lay a huddl

s astonished eyes, they seemed to be actually making a rush for his

e of glass stood between himself and the sinister-looking men and women who seemed to be

ld disperse, the human vermin-but Mr. Tapster would never have used, even to himself, so coarse an expression-would be on their way back to their b

their still burden to the nearest hospital or workhouse infirmary, they should have left at least one constable to keep order. His parlour-maid, who was never in any hurry to open the door-she had once kept him waiting ten minut

was certainly very surprising, from the outside! In the hall he saw that it was a policeman-in fac

ir beat! The fact surprised but did not alarm him, for our hero was one of the great army of law-abiding citizens in whose eyes a policeman is no human being, subject to the same laws, the same temptatio

s constables always do to the Mr. Tapsters of

; we found these keys in her pocket, and then someone said she was Mrs. Tapster,"-and the policeman

wasn't in the water long-something like a quarter of an hour-for w

apster, "not upstairs. Th

r and an even greater surprise. He stood staring at the man before h

the dining-room. Realising that he must take on him

. That sofa that you have there, sir, will do nicely, for her to be la

his hall invaded by a strange and sinister quartette. It was composed of two policemen and of two of those loafe

g certain sounds-those, for instance, made by the two loafers, who breathed with ostentatious difficult

e doorway of the dining-room was found to be too n

he felt himself being propelled forward. Making an effort to bear himself so that he should not feel afterwards ashamed of his lac

ed eyes were now wholly emptied of the anguish with which they had gazed on Mr. Tapster in this very room less than an hour ago. Her mean brown serge gown, from which the water was still dripping, clung closely to her limbs, revealing the slender body which had four times endured, on behalf o

omething came to relieve the unbearable tension of Mr. Tapster's feelings. He had been standing

ed shoulders and tired arms. With a look of great co

water probably killed her. She was evidently in poor health, and-and il

a telegraph boy, with the impudence natural to his kin

ire?" he cried in a

hat some fool had apparently imagined Cumberland Crescent to be in South London; before his eyes swam the line, "Delayed in transmission." Then, open

has been mad

BELLOC

ERMOST

ULSE

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RT OF P

ES IN