a pretty house at New Rochelle
for the year. She didn't make any especial comment then, but as soon as
she could get me alone I saw that it had all been of no use--my patience
and my waiting; she was determined to talk. Her point was that I must
not go. I am not very yielding, as you know; but she was even more
obstinate than I was; it was owing to the ideas she had about such
things, she wasn't a Roman Catholic, but she thought marriage a
sacrament--almost. I got in a few words on that side myself, I told her
that she seemed to have a singular idea of a wife's duties; one of them
was generally supposed to be to guard her husband's name, which was also
her own; but, that while _I_ wished to occasion no talk, no scandal, she
was doing her very best to stir up both by having an open quarrel with
me. And then I asked her what she proposed to do? I suppose I looked
ugly. She got up and stood there, holding on to the back of a chair; 'I
must go with you,' she said. 'I can't take you,' I told her. And then
she said that she could _follow_ me. That, I confess, put me in a rage,
I was never angrier in my life. I imagined her appearing upon the scene
there in Paris! A pretty spectacle I should be, followed about and
tracked down by a wife of that age--a wife, too, who was acting solely
from a sense of duty; with her school-girl face, that was a combination
rather too ridiculous for any man to stand. To cut the story short, I
left her then and there. That night I slept at a hotel, and the next day
I sailed; I had changed my plan of travel, in order that she should not
know for some time where I was; but I think I frightened her
sufficiently about following me before I left her. I not only expressly
forbade it, but I told her that she wouldn't be received in case she
should try it; there would be standing orders to that effect left with
the servants. I should never touch any more of her money, I told her (I
never have to this day); she could set going any story she pleased about
me, and I wouldn't contradict it; that would leave her very easy; on my
side I should simply say nothing, and I should cause no scandal, she
might be sure of that So I went off. On the other side I found a letter
from her--she didn't know my address, but she had sent it to my lawyer;
I've brought that letter along for you to see, it will give you a better
idea of her, as she was at the time, than any of my descriptions." And
he took from his pocket-book an o