ow important it was that
he should know. But she only smiled, and again referred him to her
husband. But when he came to speak to her about money arrangements
she smiled no longer. "It will not be necessary," she said.

"But it is Mr. Western's wish."

"It will not be necessary. Mr. Western has decided that we
must--part. On that matter I have nothing to say. But there will be
nothing for any lawyer to do on my behalf. If Mr. Western has made
up his mind, I will return to my mother. I can assure you that no
steps need be taken as to money." "No steps will be possible," she
added with all that feminine majesty which was peculiar to her. "I
understand from you that Mr. Western's mind is made up. You can
tell him that I shall be ready to leave this house for my mother's,
in--let me say a week." Mr. Gray went back to town having been able
to make no other arrangement. He might pay the servants' wages,--when
they were due; and the tradesmen's bills; but for herself and her
own peculiar wants Mrs. Western would take no money. "You may tell
Mr. Western," she said, "that I shall not have to encroach on his
liberality." So Mr. Gray went back to town; and Mrs. Western carried
herself through the interview without the shedding of a tear, without
the utterance of a word of tenderness,--so that the lawyer on leaving
her hardly knew what her wishes were.

"Nevertheless I think it is his doing," he said to himself. "I think
she loves him."

CHAPTER XIV.

TO WHAT A PUNISHMENT!

Mr. Western, when he received his wife's letter, after having given
his instructions to the lawyer, was miserable enough. But not on that
account did he think of changing his purpose. He had made up his
mind,--as men say, and having made it up he assured himself that he
had done it with ample cause. He could not quite explain to himself
the reasons for his anger. He did not quite know what were the faults
of which he accused his wife. But he was sure that his wrath was
just, and had come from sins on her part which it would be unbecoming
that he as a man and a husband should condone. And his anger was the
hotter because he did not know what those sins were. There had been
some understanding,--so he thought,--between his wife and Sir Francis
Geraldine which was derogatory to his honour. There had been an
understanding and a subsequent quarrel, and Sir Francis Geraldine had
been base enough to inform him of the understanding because of the
quarrel