o you mind if
I smoke a cigar, Clara?'

To his astonishment, he felt a weakness which had to be resisted;
tobacco suggested itself as a resource. When he had struck a light,
his wife forced back her tears and seated herself with an unforgiving
countenance.

Rodman began to chat pleasantly as he smoked.

Decidedly it was a _contretemps_. It introduced a number of difficulties
into his life. If he remained away for a night, he had little doubt that
his wife would denounce him; she knew of several little matters which
he on the whole preferred to be reticent about. She was not a woman like
Alice, to be turned round his finger. It behoved him to be exceedingly
cautious.

He had three personalities. As Mr. Willis Rodman his task was
comparatively a light one, at all events for the present. He merely
informed Alice by letter that he was kept in town by business and would
see her in the course of a week. It was very convenient that Alice
had no intercourse with her relatives. Secondly, as Mr. Williamson his
position was somewhat more difficult. Not only had he to present himself
every night at the rooms he had taken in Brixton, but it was necessary
to take precautions lest his abode should be discovered by those who
might make awkward use of the knowledge. He had, moreover, to keep Clara
in the dark as to his real occupations and prevent her from knowing
his resorts in town. Lastly, as Mr. Robert Delancey he had to deal with
matters of a very delicate nature indeed, in themselves quite enough to
occupy a man's mental energy. But our friend was no ordinary man. If you
are not as yet satisfied of that, it will ere long be made abundantly
clear to you.

His spirits were as high as ever. When he said--with an ingenious
brutality all his own--that he was more than half glad to see his wife,
he, for a wonder, told the truth. But perhaps it was little Jack
who gave him most pleasure, and did most to reconcile him to the
difficulties of his situation. In a day or two be conquered the child's
affections so completely that Jack seemed to care little for his mother
in comparison; Jack could not know the hardships she had endured for
his sake. Rodman--so we will continue to call him for convenience'
sake--already began to talk of what he would make the lad, who certainly
gave promise of parts. The result of this was that for a week or two our
friend became an exemplary family man. His wife almost dared to believe
that her miseries