life has been one long misery; I cannot live
without him.

"ELLEN."

"Well, it's only told us what we knew already," said Joanna with a gulp,
"but now we're sure we can do better than just talk about it."

"What can we do?"

"We can get the Old Squire's address from somebody--Mrs. Williams or the
people at North Farthing House--and then send a telegram after her,
telling her to come back."

"That won't be much use."

"It'll be something, anyway. Maybe when she gets out there in foreign
parts she won't be so pleased--or maybe he never asked her to come, and
he'll have changed his mind about her. We must try and get her back.
Where have you told your folk she's gone to?"

"I've told 'em she's gone to stop with you."

"Well, I can't pretend she's here. You might have thought of something
better, Arthur."

"I can't think of nothing else."

"You just about try. If only we can get her somewheres for a week, so as
to have time to write and tell her as all will be forgiven and you'll
take her back...."

Arthur looked mutinous.

"I don't know as I want her back."

"Arthur, you must. Otherways, everybody ull have to know what's
happened."

"But she didn't like being with me, or she wouldn't have gone away."

"She liked it well enough, or she wouldn't have stayed with you two
year. Arthur, you must have her back, you just about must. You send her
a telegram saying as you'll have her back if only she'll come this once,
before folks find out where she's gone."

Arthur's resistance gradually failed before Joanna's entreaties and
persuasions. He could not withstand Jo when her blue eyes were all dull
with tears, and her voice was hoarse and frantic. For some months now
his marriage had seemed to him a wrong and immoral thing, but he rather
sorrowfully told himself that having made the first false step he could
not now turn round and come back, even if Ellen herself had broken away.
He rode off to find out the Squire's address, and send his wife the
summoning and forgiving telegram.

Sec.28

It was not perhaps surprising that, in spite of a lavish and exceedingly
expensive offer of forgiveness, Ellen did not come home. Over a week
passed without even an acknowledgment of the telegram, which she must
have found reproachfully awaiting her arrival--the symbol of Walland
Marsh pursuing her into the remoteness of a new life and a strange
country.

As might have been expected Joanna felt this perio