Hargrave; is he not my husband?'

'Oh, Huntingdon; you know not what you slight!' he passionately murmured.

I took up my baby, and, wishing him good-morning, departed, to indulge my
thoughts unscrutinized, within the sanctum of my home.

And was I glad? Yes, delighted; though I was angered by Arthur's
conduct, and though I felt that he had wronged me, and was determined he
should feel it too.

CHAPTER XXX

On the following morning I received a few lines from him myself,
confirming Hargrave's intimations respecting his approaching return. And
he did come next week, but in a condition of body and mind even worse
than before. I did not, however, intend to pass over his derelictions
this time without a remark; I found it would not do. But the first day
he was weary with his journey, and I was glad to get him back: I would
not upbraid him then; I would wait till to-morrow. Next morning he was
weary still: I would wait a little longer. But at dinner, when, after
breakfasting at twelve o'clock on a bottle of soda-water and a cup of
strong coffee, and lunching at two on another bottle of soda-water
mingled with brandy, he was finding fault with everything on the table,
and declaring we must change our cook, I thought the time was come.

'It is the same cook as we had before you went, Arthur,' said I. 'You
were generally pretty well satisfied with her then.'

'You must have been letting her get into slovenly habits, then, while I
was away. It is enough to poison one, eating such a disgusting mess!'
And he pettishly pushed away his plate, and leant back despairingly in
his chair.

'I think it is you that are changed, not she,' said I, but with the
utmost gentleness, for I did not wish to irritate him.

'It may be so,' he replied carelessly, as he seized a tumbler of wine and
water, adding, when he had tossed it off, 'for I have an infernal fire in
my veins, that all the waters of the ocean cannot quench!'

'What kindled it?' I was about to ask, but at that moment the butler
entered and began to take away the things.

'Be quick, Benson; do have done with that infernal clatter!' cried his
master. 'And don't bring the cheese, unless you want to make me sick
outright!'

Benson, in some surprise, removed the cheese, and did his best to effect
a quiet and speedy clearance of the rest; but, unfortunately, there was a
rumple in the carpet, caused by the hasty pushing back of his master's
chair, at which he