s, at the little beast
on his haunches, with his ears pricked up and his head on one side and
his mouth watering for the victuals. I wonder whether I was in my right
senses? I don't know.

"When the dog had got all he could get he whined to be let out to roam
the streets again.

"As I opened the door to let the creature go his ways, I saw my husband
crossing the road to come in. 'Keep out' (I says to him); 'to-night, of
all nights, keep out.' He was too drunk to heed me; he passed by, and
blundered his way up stairs. I followed and listened. I heard him open
his door, and bang it to, and lock it. I waited a bit, and went up
another stair or two. I heard him drop down on to his bed. In a minute
more he was fast asleep and snoring.

"It had all happened as it was wanted to happen. In two minutes--without
doing one single thing to bring suspicion on myself--I could have
smothered him. I went into my own room. I took up the towel that I
had laid ready. I was within an inch of it--when there came a rush of
something up into my head. I can't say what it was. I can only say the
horrors laid hold of me and hunted me then and there out of the house.

"I put on my bonnet, and slipped the key of the street door into my
pocket. It was only half past nine--or maybe a quarter to ten. If I had
any one clear notion in my head, it was the notion of running away, and
never allowing myself to set eyes on the house or the husband more.

"I went up the street--and came back. I went down the street--and came
back. I tried it a third time, and went round and round and round--and
came back. It was not to be done The house held me chained to it like a
dog to his kennel. I couldn't keep away from it. For the life of me, I
couldn't keep away from it.

"A company of gay young men and women passed me, just as I was going to
let myself in again. They were in a great hurry. 'Step out,' says one of
the men; 'the theatre's close by, and we shall be just in time for the
farce.' I turned about and followed them. Having been piously brought
up, I had never been inside a theatre in my life. It struck me that I
might get taken, as it were, out of myself, if I saw something that was
quite strange to me, and heard something which would put new thoughts
into my mind.

"They went in to the pit; and I went in after them.

"The thing they called the farce had begun. Men and women came on to the
stage, turn and turn about, and talked, and went off again.