before his consciousness had become callous. At
first he had gone into a lodging in Mayfair; but this had been but
for a day or two. After that he had taken a set of furnished chambers
in Lincoln's Inn, immediately under those in which Stanbury lived;
and thus it came to pass that he and Stanbury were very much thrown
together. As Trevelyan would always talk of his wife this was rather
a bore; but our friend bore with it, and would even continue to
instruct the world through the columns of the D. R. while Trevelyan
was descanting on the peculiar cruelty of his own position.

"I wish to be just, and even generous; and I do love her with all my
heart," he said one afternoon, when Hugh was very hard at work.

"'It is all very well for gentlemen to call themselves reformers,'"
Hugh was writing, "'but have these gentlemen ever realised to
themselves the meaning of that word? We think that they have never
done so as long as--' Of course you love her," said Hugh, with his
eyes still on the paper, still leaning on his pen, but finding by the
cessation of sound that Trevelyan had paused, and therefore knowing
that it was necessary that he should speak.

"As much as ever," said Trevelyan, with energy.

"'As long as they follow such a leader, in such a cause, into
whichever lobby he may choose to take them--' Exactly so,--exactly,"
said Stanbury; "just as much as ever."

"You are not listening to a word," said Trevelyan.

"I haven't missed a single expression you have used," said Stanbury.
"But a fellow has to do two things at a time when he's on the daily
press."

"I beg your pardon for interrupting you," said Trevelyan, angrily,
getting up, taking his hat, and stalking off to the house of Lady
Milborough. In this way he became rather a bore to his friends. He
could not divest his mind of the injury which had accrued to him from
his wife's conduct, nor could he help talking of the grief with which
his mind was laden. And he was troubled with sore suspicions, which,
as far as they concerned his wife, had certainly not been merited. It
had seemed to him that she had persisted in her intimacy with Colonel
Osborne in a manner that was not compatible with that wife-like
indifference which he regarded as her duty. Why had she written to
him and received letters from him when her husband had plainly told
her that any such communication was objectionable? She had done
so, and as far as Trevelyan could remember her words, had plai