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 v

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

u should do it. And what will be the harm? You don’t mean to see Colone

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 exacted would be given. It is to be

’ said the husband, walking up to his wife i

st two days,’ said she, very gravely returni

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, an

s, how you can want s

ght to ask it;

tell the servant. I do not know how I can do that. But, as a matter of course, I will encourage no person to come to

quest in the matter. Your word was quite sufficient. That you should find cause

ferent thin

do not understand them. My own self-respect prevents me from supposi

I never have,’ s

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

comes, and sees that I have been forbidden to open it.’ Then the man returned 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 toget

Commons,

he read this, cursed Colon

R EM

t 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 b

s al

O

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

t?’ asked M

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 i

said Trevelyan, who was desirous that his

ay I should have thought that Colonel Osborne’s letters were as innocent as an old ne

ould utter. Nora now closed the letter and handed it back to her brother-inlaw. He laid it down on the table beside him, and sat for a while with his eyes fixed upon his book. At

the room if he be admit

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 upstairs to the nursery. Trevelyan sat for an hour with his book before him, reading or pretend

th 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

ot forget that I have been cautioned.’ ‘But cannot you bring

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

s 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 inn

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 forgot

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 continued to be fluent, conciliatory, and into

almost as much due to baby as to anything else

eful mistress, but somewhat exacting. I am allowed a couple of hours

ry unpl

a man wants wages, he must earn them. The Christian philosophers have a theory abo

igion. I hope that doesn’t come

oes 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

, 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 today i

ered 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, anxious to show to his wife that he had no jealousy at such a meeting as this. But his wife was determined that she would pu

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