The Return

the room. She stood in a bluish dressing-gown, her hand on her bosom, looking down on the lean impassive face. For the briefest instant her heart had leapt with an indescribable surmise; to fall

t she had h

pillow with lynx-like concentration. And though every nerve revolted at the thought, she was finally convinced, unwillingly, but assuredly, that her husband was here. Indeed, if it were not so, how could she for a single moment have accepted the possibility that he was a stranger? He seemed to haunt, like a ghostly emanation, this s

r husband had a good many dull books, most of them his 'eccentric' father's. What must the servants be thinking? and what was all that talk about a mysterious visitor? She would have to question Ada-diplomatically. She r

p, and must not be disturbed on any account. In the front bedroom.' She looked up sudde

'am? Oh, you mea

s in? What do you mean, "was

out to Critchett'

on in, then? Why didn't you say so before, A

is sure she heard no knock-not while I was out. S

se I cannot understand why there should be no one available to answer the door. You must have left it ajar, unsecur

from the kitchen till I came down the area steps with the packet. And that's all I know about it, ma'am; except that h

ed Mrs Lawford suavely. 'Please tell cook to be very careful wit

. And this abominable ruse was-Arthur's! She ran up lightly and listened with her ear to the panel of hi

her with gratitude or relief she heard the voice of Mr Bethany,

little white old man looked very solita

t. It was casting a peculiar shadow. And then-you know how such thoughts seize us, my dear-like a sudden inspiration, I realised how tenuous, how appallingly tenuous a ho

ou really are convince

her-'this is being circumspect-a seven o'clock in the morning call! But you see, my dear, I have come, as I took the precaution of explaining to the maid, because it's now or never to-day. It does so happen that I have to take a wedding fo

ery little to a mother,' she said. 'He is still

y repeated. 'You baffle

ack? Was I right? But there, it's useless, it's worse than useless, to talk like this. My husband is gone. Some terrible thing has happened. Whatever the mystery may be, he will never come back alive. My only fear is that

eyes of her visitor answered the challenge. He stood small and b

sense of humour, a sense of reverence, or perhaps even a taint of scepticism-call it what you will-just intercepted them. Oh no, not any of these, my child; just pity, overwhelming pity. God does know best; but in a

t apparently his perceiving it, and with a warning finger she preceded him into the great bedroom. 'Oh, yes, yes,' he was

but last night I had no real oppor-' He firmly adjusted his

ed, and peered again. Mrs

still-'

, suddenly stepping back with the innocent

for

uai

ical Dic

an one wonder? Poor fellow, poor fellow!' He walked to the window and peered between the blinds. 'Sparrows, su

she must wait till the next. Good discipline, my dear. Oh, dear me! I don't change. What a precious experience now this would have been for a tottery, talkative, owlish old parochi

. He smilingly but firmly bowe

t the chair drawn-up; at the boots; and now again he turned almost with a groan towards the sleeper. Then he took out an envelop

ckly. 'What is it, wha

his eyes. 'I dreamed I was in the-, His lids narrowed, his dark eyes fixed themselve

there,' he said soothingly, 'do not b

nced furtively round the room, at his clothes, slinkingly at the vicar; licke

wford,' he said gently, compose yourself, old friend. We must face the music-like me

s chair, 'is to send for Simon. Now, does Simon know you WELL?

et him once-in

I am yours, heart and soul-you know that. I own frankly, at first I was shaken. And I have, I confess, been very cunning. But first, faith, then evidence to bolster it up. The faith was absolute'-he placed one firm hand on Lawford's knee-'why, I cannot explain; but it was. The evidence is convincing. But there are others to think of. The shock, the incredibleness, the consequences; we must not scan too closely. Think WITH; never against: and bang go all the arguments. Your wife, poor dear, believes; but of course, of course, she is horribly-' he broke off; 'of course she is SHAKEN, you old simpleton! Time will heal all that. Time will wear out the mask. Time will tire out this detestable physical witchcraft. The mind, the self's the thing. Old fogey though I may seem for saying it-that must be kep

ooding that other brain. And the face that now confronted Mr Bethany, though with his feeble unaided s

ely. The black eyes nearly closed, the face turned slowly to

id; 'I'll send fo

stions here; they are questions no one on this earth could answer but you, Lawford. They are merely for external proofs. You won't, you can't, mistake my

' he said, 'of course; it's a rattling good move. I'm not quite awake; myself, I mean. I'll do

ed across through a shaft of autumnal sunshine at her husband, and her husband with a qui

list, pursing his lips between each; and one by one, Lawford, seated at the dressing-table, fluently scribbled his answers. Then question and answer were rigorously

in complete silence. She looked up. 'Many of these q

erial,' said

Yes, yes, quite so: due to a mi

, and held them out between finger and thumb.

look and run of the thing different, but every real essential

voice, 'in the top right drawer of the nest in the study, which old James gave me the Christ

you,' s

is umbrella. He rose and lit a taper for her with a match from a little green pot on the table.

ttle drawer now, secret and undetectable, with a lock.' Just such a little drawer that locked itself with a spring lay by chance in the looking-glass. There the letter was hidden. And Mr Bethany look

did not look up. 'I am entire

k in on my way back from Witchett. I came, my dear fellow, in gloomy disturbanc

a few minutes Lawford sat motionless, with head bent a little, and eyes restlessly scanning the door. Then he rose abruptly, and in a quarter of an hour was in bed, alon

d his patient out of an unusually dark, un-English face, with straight black hair, and listened attentively to his rather incoherent story. It was a story very muc

e doesn't expect-well, there, I don't feel the same man-physically. I really cannot explain how great a change has taken place. And yet I

uld, Lawford could not raise his downcast eye

at precisely is the nature of

it feels so; and a faint twinge of rheumatism. But my hair-well, I don't know; it's difficult to say one's self.' He could get

.... A slight nervous shock and a chill; quite slight, I hope. A few days' rest and plenty of nourishment. There's nothing; temperature inconsiderable. All perfectly intelligible. Most certainly reassure yourself! And as for the change you speak of'-he looked steadily at the dark face on the pillow and smiled amiably-'I don't think we need worry mu

uietly over his shoulder all the way downstairs. 'It was, it was sporting with

tragically, as he strode to the door. Dr Simon smiled, and

will soon put that little trouble out of his head. Oh yes, I did no

ed that he was unable to wait? Thank you.' She paused with hand on the balusters, then slowly ascended the stairs. Her husband's face was turned to the ceiling, his hands clasped above his head. She took up her stand by the fireplace, resting one si

,' said her husband's voi

gly; 'but we must remember he is compar

tell you?' as

ee, dear,' she said softly, 'I know, of course, nothing about the nerves; but personally, I think his suggestion absurd. No mere fancy, surely, can make a l

said Lawford stolidly; 'at any rate, to white. Why, I rea

week, of course, the Dedication; and, in any case, the Bazaar is out of the question. They will have to find another stall-holder. We must do our utmost to avoid comment or scandal. Every minute must help to-to fix a thing like that. I own even now I cannot realise what this awful calamity means. It's useless to brood on it.

Whatever it is, it's no good crying it on the housetops. Give me time, just time. Besides, how do we know what he really thought? Doctors don't tell their patients everything. Give the poor chap a chance, and more so if he is a foreigner. He's'-his voice sank almost to a whisper-'he's no darker than this. And do, please, Shei

s a positively wicked thing to say to me when I'm nearly distracted with trouble and anxiety. What motive could you have had for loitering in an old cemetery? And in an ea

hand, I really do think it would be better for the present to discuss the thing no more. To-day is Friday. Give this miserable face a week. Talk it over with Bethany if you like. But I forbid'-he strug

iet; make no disturbance, no scandal here. The servants and all who inquire shall simply be told that my husband is confined to his room with-with a nervous breakdown, as you have yourself so glibly suggested. I am at your mercy, I own it. The vicar believes your preposterous story-with his spectacles off. You would convince anybody with the wicked cunning with which you have cajoled and wheedled him, with which you have deceived and fooled a foreign doctor. But you wi

notonously, one calling up another, as if from the lips of a Cassandra. Lawford sank back in

after your aunt Rose died at Llandudno-do you remember? You threw open the window, and I think-I saved

gn of her husband, on the pillow. Then, taking up the basin of cold cornflour, she left the room. In a quarter of a

on a cheque. I have taken all the money I could find; it is in safety. You may, however, conceivably be in need of some yourself; here is five pounds. I have my own cheque-book, and shall th

a stifled, unfamiliar voice from the bed. Mrs Lawf

he use of all this pretence? Just consider MY position a little. The fear and horror are not all on your side. You called me Arthur even t

ack, struggling wi

it would be better not

orning Lawford re