he added.

"I had a letter--"--sobs--"from the bank this morning."

"FROM DE BANK?"

"Telling me they were sending me so much per month, from him, as an
allowance, and that he was quite well, but he was travelling."

"Well then, why not let him travel? You can live."

"But to leave me alone," there was burning indignation in her voice. "To
go off and leave me with every responsibility, to leave me with all the
burden."

"Well I wouldn't trouble about him. Aren't you better off without him?"

"I am. I am," she cried fiercely. "When I got that letter this morning,
I said MAY EVIL BEFALL YOU, YOU SELFISH DEMON. And I hope it may."

"Well-well, well-well, don't fret. Don't be angry, it won't make it any
better, I tell you."

"Angry! I AM angry. I'm worse than angry. A week ago I hadn't a grey
hair in my head. Now look here--" There was a pause.

"Well-well, well-well, never mind. You will be all right, don't you
bother. Your hair is beautiful anyhow."

"What makes me so mad is that he should go off like that--never a
word--coolly takes his hook. I could kill him for it."

"Were you ever happy together?"

"We were all right at first. I know I was fond of him. But he'd kill
anything.--He kept himself back, always kept himself back, couldn't give
himself--"

There was a pause.

"Ah well," sighed the doctor. "Marriage is a mystery. I'm glad I'm not
entangled in it."

"Yes, to make some woman's life a misery.--I'm sure it was death to live
with him, he seemed to kill everything off inside you. He was a man you
couldn't quarrel with, and get it over. Quiet--quiet in his tempers, and
selfish through and through. I've lived with him twelve years--I know
what it is. Killing! You don't know what he was--"

"I think I knew him. A fair man? Yes?" said the doctor.

"Fair to look at.--There's a photograph of him in the parlour--taken
when he was married--and one of me.--Yes, he's fairhaired."

Aaron guessed that she was getting a candle to come into the parlour. He
was tempted to wait and meet them--and accept it all again. Devilishly
tempted, he was. Then he thought of her voice, and his heart went cold.
Quick as thought, he obeyed his first impulse. He felt behind the couch,
on the floor where the curtains fell. Yes--the bag was there. He took it
at once. In the next breath he stepped out of the room and tip-toed
into the passage. He retreated to the far end, near the street door, and
stood behind the coats th