could
buy for her. I never used to be close-fisted with her, though
sometimes I would be tight."

"As far as I could understand, you never used to agree at all."

"I don't think we did hit it off. Perhaps it was my fault."

"You used to be a little free in your way of living."

"I was. I confess that I was so. I was young then, but I am older
now. I haven't touched a B. and S. before eleven o'clock since I have
been in London above two or three times. I do mean to do the best I
can for my young family." It was the fact that Mr Tookey had three
little children boarding out in Kimberley.

"And what is the lady doing in London?"

"To tell the truth, she's at my lodgings."

"Oh--h!"

"I do admit it. She is."

"She is indifferent to the gentleman in the Cape Town penal
settlement?"

"Altogether, I don't think she ever really cared for him. To tell the
truth, she only wanted some one to take her away from--me."

"And now she trusts you again?"

"Oh dear, yes;--completely. She is my wife, you know, still."

"I suppose so."

"That sacred tie has never been severed. You must always remember
that. I don't know what your feelings are on such a subject, but
according to my views it should not be severed roughly. When there
are children, that should always be borne in mind. Don't you think
so?"

"The children should be borne in mind."

"Just so. That's what I mean. Who can look after a family of young
children so well as their young mother? Men have various ways of
looking at the matter." To this John Gordon gave his ready consent,
and was anxious to hear in what way his assistance was to be asked
in again putting Mr and Mrs Tookey, with their young children,
respectably on their feet. "There are men, you know, stand-off sort
of fellows, who think that a woman should never be forgiven."

"It must depend on how far the husband has been in fault."

"Exactly. Now these stand-off sort of fellows will never admit that
they have been in fault at all. That's not my case."

"You drank a little."

"For the matter of that, so did she. When a woman drinks she gets
herself to bed somehow. A man gets out upon a spree. That's what I
used to do, and then I would hit about me rather recklessly. I have
no doubt Matilda did get it sometimes. When there has been that kind
of thing, forgive and forget is the best thing you can do."

"I suppose so."

"And then at the Fields there isn't the same sort of prudish life
which