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to the hearthrug and regarded her mother with maternal eyes. "Don't you _worry_ about things, mummy," she said. "Mrs. Bleckhorn told me of such a nice quiet boarding-house, almost looking on the sea.... One would be safe from Insult there. You know----" her voice broke for a moment, "he was Insulting, he _meant_ to be Insulting. I'm--Upset. I've been thinking over it ever since." Sec.10 Lady Harman came out upon the landing. She felt absolutely without backing in the world. (If only she hadn't told a lie!) Then with an effort she directed her course downstairs to the dining-room. (The lie had been necessary. It was only a detail. It mustn't blind her to the real issue.) She entered softly and found her husband standing before the fire plunged in gloomy thoughts. Upon the marble mantel-shelf behind him was a little glass; he had been sipping port in spite of the express prohibition of his doctor and the wine had reddened the veins of his eyes and variegated the normal pallor of his countenance with little flushed areas. "Hel-lo," he said looking up suddenly as she closed the door behind her. For a moment there was something in their two expressions like that on the faces of men about to box. "I want you to understand," she said, and then; "The way you behaved----" There was an uncontrollable break in her voice. She had a dreadful feeling that she might be going to cry. She made a great effort to be cold and clear. "I don't think you have a right--just because I am your wife--to control every moment of my time. In fact you haven't. And I have a right to make engagements.... I want you to know I am going to an afternoon meeting at Lady Beach-Mandarin's. Next week. And I have promised to go to Miss Alimony's to tea." "Go on," he encouraged grimly. "I am going to Lady Viping's to dinner, too; she asked me and I accepted. Later." She stopped. He seemed to deliberate. Then suddenly he thrust out a face of pinched determination. "You _won't_, my lady," he said. "You bet your life you won't. _No!_ So _now_ then!" And then gripping his hands more tightly behind him, he made a step towards her. "You're losing your bearings, Lady Harman," he said, speaking with much intensity in a low earnest voice. "You don't seem to be remembering where you are. You come and you tell me you're going to do this and that. Don't you know, Lady Harman, that it's your wifely duty to obey, to do as I say, t
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