hand；　by　his　own　fireside　he　was　considerate；　forbearing；　and
  humble　almost　to　a　fault。　As　a　necessary　result　of　this　singular
  inconsistency　of　character；　he　was　feared；　and　sometimes　even
  disliked；　by　the　members　of　his　congregation　who　only　knew　him　as
  their　pastor；　and　he　was　prized　and　loved　by　the　small　circle　of
  friends　who　also　knew　him　as　a　man。
  Those　friends　gathered　round　him　more　closely　and　more
  affectionately　than　ever　after　his　marriage；　not　on　his　own
  account　only；　but　influenced　also　by　the　attractions　that　they
  found　in　the　society　of　his　wife。　Her　refinement　and　gentleness
  of　manner；　her　extraordinary　accomplishments　as　a　musician；　her
  unvarying　sweetness　of　temper；　and　her　quick；　winning；　womanly
  intelligence　in　conversation；　charmed　every　one　who　approached
  her。　She　was　quoted　as　a　model　wife　and　woman　by　all　her
  husband's　friends；　and　she　amply　deserved　the　character　that　they
  gave　her。　Although　no　children　came　to　cheer　it；　a　happier　and　a
  more　admirable　married　life　has　seldom　been　witnessed　in　this
  world　than　the　life　which　was　once　to　be　seen　in　the　rectory
  house　at　Penliddy。
  With　these　necessary　explanations；　that　preliminary　part　of　my
  narrative　of　which　the　events　may　be　massed　together　generally；
  for　brevity's　sake；　comes　to　a　close。　What　I　have　next　to　tell　is
  of　a　deeper　and　a　more　serious　interest；　and　must　be　carefully
  related　in　detail。
  The　rector　and　his　wife　had　lived　together　without；　as　I　honestly
  believe；　a　harsh　word　or　an　unkind　look　once　passing　between　them
  for　upward　of　two　years；　when　Mr。　Carling　took　his　first　step
  toward　the　fatal　future　that　was　awaiting　him　by　devoting　his
  leisure　hours　to　the　apparently　simple　a　nd　harmless　occupation
  of　writing　a　pamphlet。
  He　had　been　connected　for　many　years　with　one　of　our　great
  Missionary　Societies；　and　had　taken　as　active　a　part　as　a　country
  clergyman　could　in　the　management　of　its　affairs。　At　the　period
  of　which　I　speak；　certain　influential　members　of　the　society　had
  proposed　a　plan　for　greatly　extending　the　sphere　of　its
  operations；　trusting　to　a　proportionate　increase　in　the　annual
  subscriptions　to　defray　the　additional　expenses　of　the　new
  movement。　The　question　was　not　now　brought　forward　for　the　first
  time。　It　had　been　agitated　eight　years　previously；　and　the
  settlement　of　it　had　been　at　that　time　deferred　to　a　future
  opportunity。　The　revival　of　the　project；　as　usual　in　such　cases；
  split　the　working　members　of　the　society　into　two　parties；　one
  party　cautiously　objecting　to　run　any　risks；　the　other　hopefully
  declaring　that　the　venture　was　a　safe　one；　and　that　success　was
  sure　to　attend　it。　Mr。　Carling　sided　enthusiastically　with　the
  members　who　espoused　this　latter　side　of　the　question；　and　the
  object　of　his　pamphlet　was　to　address　the　subscribers　to　the
  society　on　the　subject；　and　so　to　interest　them　in　it　as　to　win
  their　charitable　support；　on　a　larger　scale　than　usual；　to　the
  new　project。
  He　had　worked　hard　at　his　pamphlet；　and　had　got　more　than　half
  way　through　it；　when　he　found　himself　brought　to　a　stand…still
  for　want　of　certain　facts　which　had　been　produced　on　the
  discussion　of　the　question　eight　years　since；　and　which　were
  necessary　to　the　full　and　fair　statement　of　his　case。
  At　first　he　thought　of　writing　to　the　secretary　of　the　society
  for　information；　but；　remembering　that　he　had　not　held　his　office
  more　than　two　years；　he　had　thought　it　little　likely　that　this
  gentleman　would　be　able　to　help　him；　and　looked　back　to　his　own
  Diary　of　the　period　to　see　if　he　had　made　any　notes　in　it
  relating　to　the　original　discussion　of　the　affair。　He　found　a
  note　referring　in　general　terms　only　to　the　matter　in　hand；　but
  alluding　at　the　end　to　a　report　in　the　_Times_　of　the　proceedings
  of　a　deputation　from　the　society　which　had　waited　on　a　member　of
  the　government　of　that　day；　and　to　certain　letters　to　the　editor
  which　had　followed　the　publication　of　the　report。　The　note
  described　these　letters　as　〃very　important；〃　and　Mr。　Carling
  felt；　as　he　put　his　Diary　away　again；　that　the　successful
  conclusion　of　his　pamphlet　now　depended　on　his　being　able　to　get
  access　to　the　back　numbers　of　the　_Times_　of　eight　years　since。
  It　was　winter　time　when　he　was　thus　stopped　in　his　work；　and　the
  prospect　of　a　journey　to　London　（the　only　place　he　knew　of　at
  which　files　of　the　paper　were　to　be　found）　did　not　present　many
  attractions；　and　yet　he　could　see　no　other　and　easier　means　of
  effecting　his　object。　After　considering　for　a　little　while　and
  arriving　at　no　positive　conclusion；　he　left　the　study；　and　went
  into　the　drawing…room　to　consult　his　wife。
  He　found　her　working　industriously　by　the　blazing　fire。　She
  looked　so　happy　and　comfortableso　gentle　and　charming　in　her
  pretty　little　lace　cap；　and　her　warm　brown　morning…dress；　with
  its　bright　cherry…colored　ribbons；　and　its　delicate　swan's　down
  trimming　circling　round　her　neck　and　nestling　over　her　bosom；
  that　he　stooped　and　kissed　her　with　the　tenderness　of　his
  bridegroom　days　before　he　spoke。　When　he　told　her　of　the　cause
  that　had　suspended　his　literary　occupation；　she　listened；　with
  the　sensation　of　the　kiss　still　lingering　in　her　downcast　eyes
  and　her　smiling　lips；　until　he　came　to　the　subject　of　his　Diary
  and　its　reference　to　the　newspaper。
  As　he　mentioned　the　name　of　the　_Times_　she　altered　and　looked
  him　straight　in　the　face　gravely。
  〃Can　you　suggest　any　plan；　love；〃　he　went　on；　〃which　may　save　me
  the　necessity　of　a　journey　to　London　at　this　bleak　time　of　the
  year？　I　must　positively　have　this　information；　and；　so　far　as　I
  can　see；　London　is　the　only　place　at　which　I　can　hope　to　meet
  with　a　file　of　the　_Times_。〃
  〃A　file　of　the　_Times？_〃　she　repeated。
  〃Yesof　eight　years　since；〃　he　said。
  The　instant　the　words　passed　his　lips　he　saw　her　face　overspread
  by　a　ghastly　paleness；　her　eyes　fixed　on　him　with　a　strange
  mixture　of　rigidity　and　vacancy　in　their　look；　her　hands；　with
  her　work　held　tight　in　them；　dropped　slowly　on　her　lap；　and　a
  shiver　ran　through　her　from　head　to　foot。
  He　sprang　to　his　feet；　and　snatched　the　smelling…salts　from　her
  work…table；　thinking　she　was　going　to　faint。　She　put　the　bottle
  from　her；　when　he　offered　it；　with　a　hand　that　thrilled　him　with
  the　deadly　coldness　of　its　touch；　and　said；　in　a　whisper：
  〃A　sudden　chill；　dearlet　me　go　upstairs　and　lie　down。〃
  He　took　her　to　her　room。　As　he　laid　her　down　on　the　bed；　she
  caught　his　hand；　and　said；　entreatingly：
  〃You　won't　go　to　London；　darling；　and　leave　me　here　ill？〃
  He　promised　that　nothing　should　separate　him　from　her　until　she
  was　well　again；　and　then　ran　downstairs　to　send　for　the　doctor。
  The　doctor　came；　and　pronounced　that　Mrs。　Carling　was　only
  suffering　from　a　nervous　attack；　that　there　was　not　the　least
  reason　to　be　alarmed；　and　that；　with　proper　care；　she　would　be
  well　again　in　a　few　days。
  Both　husband　and　wife　had　a　dinner　engagement　in　the　town　for
  that　evening。　Mr。　Carling　proposed　to　write　an　apology　and　to
  remain　with　his　wife。　But　she　would　not　hear　of　his　abandoning
  the　party　on　her　account。　The　doctor　also　recommended　that　his
  patient　should　be　left　to　her　maid's　care；　to　fall　asleep　under
  the　influence　of　the　quieting　medicine　which　he　meant　to　give
  her。　Yielding　to　this　advice；　Mr。　Carling　did　his　best　to
  suppress　his　own　anxieties；　and　went　to　the　dinner…party。
  CHAPTER　II。
  AMONG　the　guests　whom　the　rector　met　was　a　gentleman　named
  Rambert；　a　single　man　of　large　fortune；　well　known　in　the
  neighborhood　of　Penliddy　as　the　owner　of　a　noble　country…seat　and
  the　possessor　of　a　magnificent　library。
  Mr。　Rambert　（with　whom　Mr。　Carling　was　well　acquainted）　greeted
  him　at　the　dinner…party　with　friendly　expressions　of　regret　at
  the　time　that　had　elapsed　since　they　had　last　seen　each　other；
  and　mentioned　that　he　had　recently　been　adding　to　his　collection
  of　books　some　rare　old　volumes　of　theology；　which　he　thought　the
  rector　might　find　it　useful　to　look　over。　Mr。　Carling；　with　the
  necessity　of　finishing　his　pamphlet　uppermost　in　his　mind；
  replied；　jestingly；　that　the　species　of　literature　which　he　was
  just　then　most　interested　in　examining　happened　to　be　precisely
  of　the　sort　which　（excepting　novels；　perhaps）　had　least　affinity
  to　theological　writing。　The　necessary　explanation　followed　this
  avowal　as　a　matter　of　course；　and；　to　Mr。　Carling's　great
  delight；　his　friend　turned　on　him　gayly　with　the　most　surprising
  and　satisfactory　of　answers：
  〃You　don't　know　half　the　resources　of　my　miles　of　bookshelves；〃
  he　said；　〃or　you　would　never　have　thought　of　going　to　London　for
  what　you　can　get　from　me。　A　whole　side　of　one　of　my　rooms
  upstairs　is　devoted　to　periodical　literature。　I　have　reviews；
  magazines；　and　three　weekly　newspapers；　bound；　in　each　case；　from
  the　first　number；　and；　what　is　just　now　more　to　your　purpose；　I
  have　the　_Times_　for　the　last　fifteen　years　in　huge　half…yearly
  volumes。　Give　me　the　date　to…night；　and　you　shall　have　the　volume
  you　want　by　two　o'clock　to…morrow　afternoon。〃
  The　necessary　information　was　given　at　once；　and；　with　a　great
  sense　of　relief；　so　far　as　his　literary　anxieties　were　concerned；
  Mr。　Carling　went　home　early　to　see　wha