strength　to　tell　your　husband　all　the　unpleasant　things　your　soul
  is　charged　with。　Take　just　a　little。〃
  She　turned　her　face　away　and　would　not　answer。　He　brought　another
  chair　and　sat　down　beside　her。　〃My　lost；　forlorn；　betrayed　one〃
  〃I　am；〃　she　sobbed。　〃You　don't　mean　it；　but　I　am。〃
  〃You　are　also　my　dearest　and　best　of　wives。　If　you　ever　loved　me；
  Hetty；　do；　for　my　once　dear　sake；　drink　this　before　it　gets
  cold。〃
  She　pouted；　sobbed；　and　yielded　to　some　gentle　force　which　he
  used；　as　a　child　allows　herself　to　be　half　persuaded；　half
  compelled；　to　take　physic。
  〃Do　you　feel　better　and　more　comfortable　now？〃　he　said。
  〃No；〃　she　replied；　angry　with　herself　for　feeling　both。
  〃Then；〃　he　said　cheerfully；　as　if　she　had　uttered　a　hearty
  affirmative；　〃I　will　put　some　more　coals　on　the　fire；　and　we
  shall　be　as　snug　as　possible。　It　makes　me　wildly　happy　to　see　you
  at　my　fireside；　and　to　know　that　you　are　my　own　wife。〃
  〃I　wonder　how　you　can　look　me　in　the　face　and　say　so；〃　she　cried。
  〃I　should　wonder　at　myself　if　I　could　look　at　your　face　and　say
  anything　else。　Oatmeal　is　a　capital　restorative；　all　your　energy
  is　coming　back。　There；　that　will　make　a　magnificent　blaze
  presently。〃
  〃I　never　thought　you　deceitful；　Sidney；　whatever　other　faults　you
  might　have　had。〃
  〃Precisely；　my　love。　I　understand　your　feelings。　Murder；
  burglary；　intemperance；　or　the　minor　vices　you　could　have　borne；
  but　deceit　you　cannot　abide。〃
  〃I　will　go　away；〃　she　said　despairingly；　with　a　fresh　burst　of
  tears。　〃I　will　not　be　laughed　at　and　betrayed。　I　will　go
  barefooted。〃　She　rose　and　attempted　to　reach　the　door；　but　he
  intercepted　her　and　said：
  〃My　love；　there　is　something　serious　the　matter。　What　is　it？
  Don't　be　angry　with　me。〃
  He　brought　her　back　to　the　chair。　She　took　Agatha's　letter　from
  the　pocket　of　her　fur　cloak；　and　handed　it　to　him　with　a　faint
  attempt　to　be　tragic。
  〃Read　that；〃　she　said。　〃And　never　speak　to　me　again。　All　is　over
  between　us。〃
  He　took　it　curiously；　and　turned　it　to　look　at　the　signature。
  〃Aha！〃　he　said；　〃my　golden　idol　has　been　making　mischief；　has
  she？〃
  〃There！〃　exclaimed　Henrietta。　〃You　have　said　it　to　my　face！　You
  have　convicted　yourself　out　of　your　own　mouth！〃
  〃Wait　a　moment；　my　dear。　I　have　not　read　the　letter　yet。〃
  He　rose　and　walked　to　and　fro　through　the　room；　reading。　She
  watched　him；　angrily　confident　that　she　should　presently　see　him
  change　countenance。　Suddenly　he　drooped　as　if　his　spine　had
  partly　given　way；　and　in　this　ungraceful　attitude　he　read　the
  remainder　of　the　letter。　When　he　had　finished　he　threw　it　on　the
  table；　thrust　his　hands　deep　into　his　pockets；　and　roared　with
  laughter；　huddling　himself　together　as　if　he　could　concentrate
  the　joke　by　collecting　himself　into　the　smallest　possible
  compass。　Henrietta；　speechless　with　indignation；　could　only　look
  her　feelings。　At　last　he　came　and　sat　down　beside　her。
  〃And　so；〃　he　said；　〃on　receiving　this　you　rushed　out　in　the　cold
  and　came　all　the　way　to　Lyvern。　Now；　it　seems　to　me　that　you　must
  either　love　me　very　much…　…〃
  〃I　don't。　I　hate　you。〃
  〃Or　else　love　yourself　very　much。〃
  〃Oh！〃　And　she　wept　afresh。　〃You　are　a　selfish　brute；　and　you　do
  just　as　you　like　without　considering　anyone　else。　No　one　ever
  thinks　of　me。　And　now　you　won't　even　take　the　trouble　to　deny
  that　shameful　letter。〃
  〃Why　should　I　deny　it？　It　is　true。　Do　you　not　see　the　irony　of
  all　this？　I　amuse　myself　by　paying　a　few　compliments　to　a
  schoolgirl　for　whom　I　do　not　care　two　straws　more　than　for　any
  agreeable　and　passably　clever　woman　I　meet。　Nevertheless；　I
  occasionally　feel　a　pang　of　remorse　because　I　think　that　she　may
  love　me　seriously；　although　I　am　only　playing　with　her。　I　pity
  the　poor　heart　I　have　wantonly　ensnared。　And；　all　the　time；　she
  is　pitying　me　for　exactly　the　same　reason！　She　is
  conscience…stricken　because　she　is　only　indulging　in　the　luxury
  of　being　adored　'by　far　the　cleverest　man　she　has　ever　met；'　and
  is　as　heart…whole　as　I　am！　Ha；　ha！　That　is　the　basis　of　the
  religion　of　love　of　which　poets　are　the　high…priests。　Each
  worshipper　knows　that　his　own　love　is　either　a　transient　passion
  or　a　sham　copied　from　his　favorite　poem；　but　he　believes　honestly
  in　the　love　of　others　for　him。　Ho；　ho！　Is　it　not　a　silly　world；
  my　dear？〃
  〃You　had　no　right　to　make　love　to　Agatha。　You　have　no　right　to
  make　love　to　anyone　but　me；　and　I　won't　bear　it。〃
  〃You　are　angry　because　Agatha　has　infringed　your　monopoly。　Always
  monopoly！　Why；　you　silly　girl；　do　you　suppose　that　I　belong　to
  you；　body　and　soul？that　I　may　not　be　moved　except　by　your
  affection；　or　think　except　of　your　beauty？〃
  〃You　may　call　me　as　many　names　as　you　please；　but　you　have　no
  right　to　make　love　to　Agatha。〃
  〃My　dearest；　I　do　not　recollect　calling　you　any　names。　I　think
  you　said　something　about　a　selfish　brute。〃
  〃I　did　not。　You　called　me　a　silly　girl。〃
  〃But；　my　love；　you　are。〃
  〃And　so　YOU　are。　You　are　thoroughly　selfish。〃
  〃I　don't　deny　it。　But　let　us　return　to　our　subject。　What　did　we
  begin　to　quarrel　about？〃
  〃I　am　not　quarrelling；　Sidney。　It　is　you。〃
  〃Well；　what　did　I　begin　to　quarrel　about？〃
  〃About　Agatha　Wylie。〃
  〃Oh；　pardon　me；　Hetty；　I　certainly　did　not　begin　to　quarrel　about
  her。　I　am　very　fond　of　hermore　so；　it　appears；　than　she　is　of
  me。　One　moment；　Hetty；　　before　you　recommence　your　reproaches。
  Why　do　you　dislike　my　saying　pretty　things　to　Agatha？〃
  Henrietta　hesitated；　and　said：　〃Because　you　have　no　right　to。　It
  shows　how　little　you　care　for　me。〃
  〃It　has　nothing　to　do　with　you。　It　only　shows　how　much　I　care　for
  her。〃
  〃I　will　not　stay　here　to　be　insulted；〃　said　Hetty；　her　distress
  returning。　〃I　will　go　home。〃
  〃Not　to…night；　there　is　no　train。〃
  〃I　will　walk。〃
  〃It　is　too　far。〃
  〃I　don't　care。　I　will　not　stay　here；　though　I　die　of　cold　by　the
  roadside。〃
  〃My　cherished　one；　I　have　been　annoying　you　purposely　because　you
  show　by　your　anger　that　you　have　not　ceased　to　care　for　me。　I　am
  in　the　wrong；　as　I　usually　am；　and　it　is　all　my　fault。　Agatha
  knows　nothing　about　our　marriage。〃
  〃I　do　not　blame　you　so　much；〃　said　Henrietta；　suffering　him　to
  place　her　head　on　his　shoulder；　〃but　I　will　never　speak　to　Agatha
  again。　She　has　behaved　shamefully　to　me；　and　I　will　tell　her　so。〃
  〃No　doubt　she　will　opine　that　it　is　all　your　fault；　dearest；　and
  that　I　have　behaved　admirably。　Between　you　I　shall　stand
  exonerated。　And　now；　since　it　is　too　cold　for　walking；　since　it
  is　late；　since　it　is　far　to　Lyvern　and　farther　to　London；　I　must
  improvise　some　accommodation　for　you　here。〃
  〃But〃
  〃But　there　is　no　help　for　it。　You　must　stay。〃
  CHAPTER　IX
  Next　day　Smilash　obtained　from　his　wife　a　promise　that　she　would
  behave　towards　Agatha　as　if　the　letter　had　given　no　offence。
  Henrietta　pleaded　as　movingly　as　she　could　for　an　immediate
  return　to　their　domestic　state；　but　he　put　her　off　with　endearing
  speeches；　promised　nothing　but　eternal　affection；　and　sent　her
  back　to　London　by　the　twelve　o'clock　express。　Then　his
  countenance　changed；　he　walked　back　to　Lyvern；　and　thence　to　the
  chalet；　like　a　man　pursued　by　disgust　and　remorse。　Later　in　the
  afternoon；　to　raise　his　spirits；　he　took　his　skates　and　went　to
  Wickens's　pond；　where；　it　being　Saturday；　he　found　the　ice
  crowded　with　the　Alton　students　and　their　half…holiday　visitors。
  Fairholme；　describing　circles　with　his　habitual　air　of　compressed
  hardihood；　stopped　and　stared　with　indignant　surprise　as　Smilash
  lurched　past　him。
  〃Is　that　man　here　by　your　permission？〃　he　said　to　Farmer　Wickens；
  who　was　walking　about　as　if　superintending　a　harvest。
  〃He　is　here　because　he　likes；　I　take　it；〃　said　Wickens
  stubbornly。　〃He　is　a　neighbor　of　mine　and　a　friend　of　mine。　Is
  there　any　objections　to　my　having　a　friend　on　my　own　pond；　seein'
  that　there　is　nigh　on　two　or　three　ton　of　other　people's　friends
  on　it　108　without　as　much　as　a　with…your…leave　or　a　by…your…
  leave。〃
  〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Fairholme；　somewhat　dashed。　〃If　you　are　satisfied
  there　can　be　no　objection。〃
  〃I'm　glad　on　it。　I　thought　there　mout　be。〃
  〃Let　me　tell　you；〃　said　Fairholme；　nettled；　〃that　your　landlord
  would　not　be　pleased　to　see　him　here。　He　sent　one　of　Sir　John's
  best　shepherds　out　of　the　country；　after　filling　his　head　with
  ideas　above　his　station。　I　heard　Sir　John　speak　very　warmly　about
  it　last　Sunday。〃
  〃Mayhap　you　did；　Muster　Fairholme。　I　have　a　lease　of　this
  landand　gravelly；　poor　stuff　it　isand　I　am　no　ways　beholden
  to　Sir　John's　likings　and　dislikings。　A　very　good　thing　too　for
  Sir　John　that　I　have　a　lease；　for　there　ain't　a　man　in　the
  country　'ud　tak'　a　present　o'　the　farm　if　it　was　free　to…morrow。
  And　what's　a'　more；　though　that　young　man　do　talk　foolish　things
  about　the　rights　of　farm　laborers　and　such…like　nonsense；　if　Sir
  John　was　to　hear　him　layin'　it　down　concernin'　rent　and
  improvements；　and　the　way　we　tenant　farmers　is　put　upon；　p'raps
  he'd　speak　warmer　than　ever　next　Sunday。〃
  And　Wickens；　with　a　smile　expressive　of　his　sense　of　having
  retorted　effectively　upon　the　parson；　nodded　and　walked　away。
  Just　then　Agatha；　skating　hand　in　hand　with　Jane　Carpenter；　heard
  these　words　in　her　ear：　〃I　ha