e the complaints of purchasers had become frequent. With the
manufacturing department he had nothing to do; he tried to think himself
free from responsibility; for, in spite of amiable qualities, he was
a man of business, and saw a great part of life through the commercial
spectacles commonly worn now-a-days. Nevertheless conscience unsettled
him. One day he heard his partners joking over the legislative omission
by virtue of which they were able to adulterate their disinfectants to
any extent without fear of penalty; their laughter grated upon him, and
he got out of the way. If he could lay aside a few thousands of pounds,
assuredly his connection with the affair should be terminated. So he
lived, for his own part, on a pound a week, and informed Ada through
his solicitor that she must be satisfied with a certain very moderate
allowance.

Mrs. Peachey naturally laid herself out to give every one as much
trouble as possible. Insulting post-cards showered upon her husband at
his place of business. After a few weeks she discovered his lodging, and
addressed the post-cards thither; but she made no attempt at personal
molestation. The loss of her child gave her not the slightest concern,
yet she determined to find out where the boy was living. She remembered
that Peachey had relatives at Canterbury, and after a troublesome search
succeeded in her purpose. An interview with her husband's married sister
proved so unsatisfactory to Ada, that she had recourse to her familiar
weapons, rage, insult, and menace; with the result that she was forcibly
removed, and made a scandal in the quiet street.

Then she consulted men of law, and found one who encouraged her to sue
for restitution of conjugal rights. It came to nothing, however; for in
the meantime she was growing tired of her solitary existence,--friends
of course she had none,--and the spirit moved her to try a change of
tactics.

She wrote a long, long letter, penitent, tear-bestained. 'I have behaved
outrageously to you, dearest Arthur; I must have been mad to say and do
such things. The doctor tells me that my health has been in a very
bad state for a long time, and I really don't remember half that has
happened. You were quite right when you told me that I should be better
if I didn't live such an idle life, and I have quite, quite made up my
mind to be an industrious and a _good_ woman. All yesterday I spent
in needlework and crying. Oh, the tears that I have shed! My