er Mistress just as she entered it. Passing her I rushed out
towards the privy saying, as if ready to shit myself, "What a time you
have been there. I thought you were going to stay there all day." It had
been raining, the ground was wet, and just inside the back-door she had
paused to wipe her feet on the mat. Had she not done so she would
have caught us in the posture, for we had both spent, and lost all
consciousness for the minute, I was dreaming leaning over Mary when I
heard the feet rubbing on the doormat.

I stopped a sufficient time at the privy to show that I really wanted to
go there. When I went back to the house I found Mary had fainted right
off in the parlour, and dropped a tray. The shock of fear at being
caught had been too much for her nerves, and she rolled on the floor
showing her legs. My wife jealously told me to leave. I did, but in a
funk for I saw on one of her stockings unmistakeable stains of spunk
mixed with poorliness.

We talked over it afterwards, wondering if it had been noticed; but I
never knew. Mary recovered and got up just as I went out of the room.
Her Mistress afterwards remarked that she was a fine-made, but coarse,
strong woman, she called all stout, well-filled women coarse.

Her Mistress asked her what she had bought the day she had gone out
shopping, and she showed her some things, which most unfortunately she
had shown before, then her Mistress said it had been merely a pretext
to get out. She told me of it, and when Mary's regular holiday came she
refused to let her go. Mary insisted, there were words, I was consulted,
and said she ought to be allowed to go. "You always take a servant's
part." "It's a lie," said I. "and I won't come home till time to go to
bed." "I shall be alone in the house then.". "Serve you right"--and off
I went. Mary met me an hour or two after the proper time whilst I kept
anxiously waiting and fuming, either under the portico of the lyceum,
or about there. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in
voluptuous delight.

I kept out for an hour after Mary's return that night, and had a row for
the Mistress was sitting up. Next day I had a latch-key put on the
door, and told her she need not sit up, then went home at three in the
morning, and found her sitting up. Then I told her if she did that again
I would stop out all night. Again she sat up awaiting me, so I went off
and did not go home till the next night. That settled it.

"I'm