his, very well."

"That is so," said the old lady, who, having now finished her bandaging,
was seated on a chair by the fireplace. "My niece is smart and quick,
and could do this thing for you just as well as not. But she has her
quips and her cranks, like the rest of us. I called her out of the room
last night to know why she didn't back me up better about the whist
party, and she said she couldn't see why a gentleman, who hadn't been
confined to the house for quite a whole day, should be so desperately
lonely that people must go to his room to play whist with him. It seemed
to me exactly as if she thought that Mr Null wouldn't like it. Mr Null
indeed! As if his wishes and desires were to be considered in my house!
I never mention that man now, and Annie does not speak of him either.
What I want is that he shall stay away just as long as he will; and if
he will only stay away long enough to make his absence what the law
calls desertion, I'll have those two divorced before they know it. Can
you tell me, sir, how long a man must stay away from his wife before he
can be legally charged with desertion?"

"No, madam, I can not," said Lawrence. "The laws, I believe, differ in
the various States."

"Well, I'm going to make it my business to find out all about it," said
Mrs Keswick. "Mr Brandon has promised to attend to this matter for me,
and I must write to him, to know what he has been doing. Well, Mrs Null
and Miss March seem to be very good friends, and I dare say my niece
could manage things so as to give you the chance you want. I'll go to
the house now, and send her over to you, so that you can tell her what
you want her to say or do."

"Do you think she will come, madam?" asked Lawrence.

The old lady rose to her feet, and knitted her brows until something
like a perpendicular mouth appeared on her forehead. "No," said she,
"now I come to think of it I don't believe she will. In fact I know she
won't. Bother take it all, sir! What these young women want is a good
whipping. Nothing else will ever bring them to their senses. What
possible difference could it make to Mr Null whether she came to you and
took a message for you, or whether she didn't come; especially in a case
like this, when you can't walk, or go to anybody?"

"I don't think it ought to make any difference whatever," said Lawrence.
"In fact I don't believe it would."

"It's no use talking about it, Mr Croft," said the old lady, moving
toward the do