He Knew He Was Right
r, and then asked her sister what she meant to do. "I have written to Mrs. Peacock. I don't know what else I can do. It is ve
lse will yo
There is nothing else that a woman can do. If he chooses to dine at his club every day
oo terrible to think that the
do? Have I
ng or right. If it's right, it ought to be done
d it sounds logical; but you
should do it. And what will be the harm? You don't mean to see Colonel
him that any special gentleman is not to be admitted to see me? Oh dear! oh dear! have I done anything to deserve it? W
hich he had expected in her surrender. "Tell him to come," Nora had urged. "Of course he can come if he pleases," Emily had replied. Then Nora had told Louis to come, and Louis had demanded whether, if he did so, the promise which he had exacted would be given. It is to
" said the husband, walking up to his wife i
reconciliati
to E
t two days," said she, very gravely,-returnin
ve,-as an act on her part which she had fully consented to perform. But she stood silent, with one hand on the dressing-table, looking away from him, very beautiful, a
s, how you can want s
ght to ask it;
r you to tell the servant. I do not know how I can do that. But, as a matter of course, I will encourage no
all tha
quest in the matter. Your word was quite sufficient. That you should find cause
fferent thi
do not understand them. My own self-respect prevents me from suppos
I never have,"
I regard as a matter of
ly, the way in whi
do you regard th
, I believe, spo
ord that may be injurious to your honour." This she said very quietly, with much dignity, and he felt that he had better not answer her. She had given him the promise which he had demanded, and he began to fear that if he pushed the
the order in the most indifferent tone of voice which he could assume; but as he gave it he felt thoroughly ashamed of it. Richard, who, with the oth
it, put it down by her plate. Trevelyan knew immediately from whom the letter had come, and understood how impossible it was for his wife to give it up in the servant's presence. Th
, "how can you allow words so horrible
to the room, and the remainder of the dinner passed off almost in silence. It was their custom when they dined without company to leave the dining-room together, but on this evening Trevelyan remai
Commons,
Emi
his, cursed Colonel Osb
r E
et him do what he would, till the end of July. They hope to have the session over by that time, and therefore the committee is to be put off till next session. They mean to have Lord Bowles home from Canada, and they think that Bowles would like to be here in the winter. Sir Marmaduke will
s al
.
e letter, but the very telling of it would be a renewing of the soreness of his wound. And then what was to be done in reference to the threatened visit for the Sunday morning? Trevelyan knew very well that were his wife denied at that hour, Colonel Osborne would understand the whole matter. He had doubtless in his anger intended that Colonel Osborne should understand the
rather not," she
d it. It concerns
ter and read it. "They are not to come a
?" asked Mrs
he session. I don'
Louis, "and they think he would prefer bein
s that to do
st both be here to
hard indeed," sa
r husband. "His coming at all is so muc
, and nobody can know more of the service than papa does. But as the other man
said Trevelyan, who was desirous that his
ay I should have thought that Colonel Osborne's letters were as innocent as an old ne
uld utter. Nora now closed the letter and handed it back to her brother-in-law. He laid it down on the table beside him, and sat for a while with his eyes fixed upon his book. At l
he room if he be admitte
than before. Then he rose from his chair and walked round to the sofa on which his wife was
any subject in my life. My wishes at present are confined to a desire to save you as
er had any
tters. A husband without suspicions does not call in the aid o
y, "how can you say such thin
to provoke me,"
n has chosen to talk scandal about me, I am placed in a position in my own house which is disgraceful to you and insupportable to myself. This man has been in the
come in and go away, ju
was exacted, and it shall be kept." Having so spoken, she swept out of the room, and went up-stairs to the nursery. Trevelyan sat for an hour with his book before him, reading or pretend
rath with her after the church service which they had just heard together. But he was softer-hearted than was she, and knowing this, was almost afraid to say anything that would again br
ouis," she answered. "I cannot f
elf to believe that I have
ent. But it has hurt me to find that you should
ess of that "Dear Emily;" but he had to reconcile himself even to that, telling himself that, after all, Colonel Osborne was an old man,-a man older even than his wife's father. If she would only have met him with gentleness, he w
in this way that things were allowed to arrange themselves. Richard was told that Colonel Osborne was coming to lunch, and when he came something was muttered to him about Mrs. Trevelyan being not quite well. It was Nora who told the innoc
to him to have been mean, and almost false and cowardly. As the order for the exclusion of this hated man from his house had been given, he should at any rate have stuck to the order. At the moment of his vacillation he had simply intended to make things easy for his wife; but she had ta
bout Colonel Osborne. She would avoid that gentleman, never receiving him in Curzon Street, and having as little to say to him as possible elsewhere; but she would not throw his name in her husband's teeth, or make any reference to the injury which had so manifestly been done to her. Unless Louis should be indiscreet, it should be as though it had been forgott
y worked very hard at her mission of forgiveness, and hardly ceased in her efforts at conciliatory conversation. Women can work so much harder in this way than men find it possible to do! She never flagged, but cont
ou are able to be ou
almost as much due to baby as to anything else
rateful mistress, but somewhat exacting. I am allowed a couple of hou
ry unpl
a man wants wages, he must earn them. The Christian philosophers have a theory abo
ligion. I hope that doesn't come
does that with us, and does it excellently. It was he who touched up the Ritualists, and then the
n, that the Dail
ed to Miss Rowley, and they two were soon walking on together, each manifestly interested
s, she had made a little mute appeal to her husband to take her away from the spot, to give her his arm and return with her, to save her in some way from remaining in company with
road path together, and th
satisfactory,-about
Osborne. I felt a little disappointed when I foun
er then, you know, t
time comes we shall all
that a little pudding to-day
urned his face down close to her face, and had almost whispered them. And then, too, he had again called her by her Christian name. Trevelyan had not heard the words. He had walked on, making the distance between him and the other man greater than was necessary, anxiou
back, if you please." Then she took her husband's arm, and
not perceive that he had been left in anger. When Trevelyan and his wife had gone bac
Emily," he said, "that yo
ave made it almost impossible f
m everything now,
worthy of a moment's conversation. And she by her step, and gait, and every movement of her body showed to him that she was not his wife now in any sense that could bring to him a feeling of domestic happiness. Her compliance with his command was of no use to him unless
s to pa
hat is the world to us unless we can love one
bt my love?
ertain
ke us so. There must be trust, and there must also be forbearance. My feeling of annoyanc
ned nothing by the interview. She was still hard and cold, and still assumed
ents on the spot, and then with a whistle, a shake of the he