she abused.
Woman-like his wife had the last word--given in this case with tears:

'Very well, Arthur! Of course you will do as you choose. Make me as
ridiculous as you can, and spoil the poor girls' chances in life.
Young men don't seem to care, as a general rule, for an idiot
father-in-law! But I must warn you that your vanity will some day get
a rude shock--if indeed you are not before then in an asylum or dead!'

It was manifest after a few days that Mr. Markam would have to take
the major part of his outdoor exercise by himself. The girls now and
again took a walk with him, chiefly in the early morning or late at
night, or on a wet day when there would be no one about; they
professed to be willing to go out at all times, but somehow something
always seemed to occur to prevent it. The boys could never be found at
all on such occasions, and as to Mrs. Markam she sternly refused to go
out with him on any consideration so long as he should continue to
make a fool of himself. On the Sunday he dressed himself in his
habitual broadcloth, for he rightly felt that church was not a place
for angry feelings; but on Monday morning he resumed his Highland
garb. By this time he would have given a good deal if he had never
thought of the dress, but his British obstinacy was strong, and he
would not give in. Saft Tammie called at his house every morning, and,
not being able to see him nor to have any message taken to him, used
to call back in the afternoon when the letter-bag had been delivered
and watched for his going out. On such occasions he never failed to
warn him against his vanity in the same words which he had used at the
first. Before many days were over Mr. Markam had come to look upon him
as little short of a scourge.

By the time the week was out the enforced partial solitude, the
constant chagrin, and the never-ending brooding which was thus
engendered, began to make Mr. Markam quite ill. He was too proud to
take any of his family into his confidence since they had in his view
treated him very badly. Then he did not sleep well at night, and when
he did sleep he had constantly bad dreams. Merely to assure himself
that his pluck was not failing him he made it a practice to visit the
quicksand at least once every day, he hardly ever failed to go there
the last thing at night. It was perhaps this habit that wrought the
quicksand with its terrible experience so perpetually into his dreams.
More and more vivid these be