errupt his
thoughts. Besides, she did not know quite what to say. It was so
curious! She realised, with rather a shock, how little really she knew
about this man, and here she was going away alone with him for life!...
But probably brides always felt like that? It was a biggish thing to
do, anyhow, getting married. She expected it would feel a bit funny
with any one. Probably the man made very little difference....

And presently he spoke--if it is speaking to say, "Ah!"

They were at Charing Cross.

They had agreed to take old baggage and look a very long-established
couple, but somehow porters and people were nudging each other with
sympathetic joy long before they reached the first-class carriage with
its wickedly big label marked "engaged."

Helena, embarrassed if amused, sat on the far side. Hubert leaned out
of the window and bought all the evening papers. He knew that there
had been reporters.

"May as well see what they put," he said, almost as though in apology.
She could not understand his tones, but Mother had told her last night
that men were funny things with curious ideas.

He took up one after another and flipped through them all.

"Solemnised--Langham Place--ecru lace," he read from the first; and
then more hurriedly, "Reception--residence--numerous and costly--happy
couple--Riviera."

Judging from his extracts, Helena thought, they were all very much
alike. She wondered if one man had written the whole lot, and if so,
what all the rest of the reporters did.

Her husband's face grew blacker as he reached the last. He threw it
down with a contemptuous laugh.

"Why, what is it?" she asked. "Don't you like them?" She still felt
oddly shy about using his name. "Are you disappointed?"

"One doesn't expect much from journalists," he said. "One's never
disappointed."

But he was.

One account said that he was "a" novelist, but that was all: no
adjective before it, not even "well-known." The others didn't mention
that he _was_ an author.

They might have been just ordinary people.

PART II

HUBERT BRETT'S WIFE

CHAPTER V

ROUTINE

It was something of a career, Helena soon learnt, to be the wife of
Hubert Brett.

Gradually, however, she got a grip of the rough lines of her whole
duty. At first it had been difficult, for she was not methodical by
nature; but now it all seemed natural, the ordinary thing. When you
got into it, the day ran smoothly. She never ev