ld be your wife to-day, and lady of Huntercombe Hall
by-and-by? Fifty pounds! No; not five fifties."

"Well, I'll give you seventy-five; and if that won't do, you must go to
law, and see what you can get."

"What, han't you had your bellyful of law? Mind, it is an unked thing
to forswear yourself, and that is what you done at the 'sizes. I have
seen what you did swear about your letter to my sister; Sir Charles
have got it all wrote down in his study: and you swore a lie to the
judge, as you swore a lie to me here under heaven, you villain!" She
raised her voice very loud. "Don't you gainsay me, or I'll soon have
you by the heels in jail for your lies. You'll do as I bid you, and
very lucky to be let off so cheap. You was to be my master, but you
chose her instead: well, then, you shall be my servant. You shall come
here every Saturday at eight o'clock, and bring me a sovereign, which I
never could keep a lump o' money, and I have had one or two from Rhoda;
so I'll take it a sovereign a week till I get a husband of my own sort,
and then you'll have to come down handsome once for all."

Bassett knitted his brows and thought hard. His natural impulse was to
defy her; but it struck him that a great many things might happen in a
few months; so at last he said, humbly, "I consent. I have been to
blame. Only I'd rather pay you this money in some other way."

"My way, or none."

"Very well, then, I will bring it you as you say."

"Mind you do, then," said Mary Wells, and turned haughtily on her heel.

Bassett never ventured to absent himself at the hour, and, at first,
the blackmail was delivered and received with scarcely a word; but
by-and-by old habits so far revived that some little conversation took
place.

Then, after a while, Bassett used to tell her he was unhappy, and she
used to reply she was glad of it.

Then he began to speak slightingly of his wife, and say what a fool he
had been to marry a poor, silly nonentity, when he might have wedded a
beauty.

Mary Wells, being intensely vain, listened with complacency to this,
although she replied coldly and harshly.

By-and-by her natural volubility overpowered her, and she talked to
Bassett about herself and Huntercombe House, but always with a secret
reserve.

Later--such is the force of habit--each used to look forward with
satisfaction to the Saturday meeting, although each distrusted and
feared the other at bottom.

Later still that came to pass whic