effect. It had arisen out of the quarrel like a
sharpshooter out of an ambuscade. Her right to go out alone had now only
the value of a mere pretext for far more extensive independence. The
ultimate extent of these independences, she still dared not contemplate.

She was more than a little scared. She wasn't prepared for so wide a
revision of her life as this involved. She wasn't at all sure of the
rightfulness of her position. Her conception of the marriage contract at
that time was liberal towards her husband. After all, didn't she owe
obedience? Didn't she owe him a subordinate's co-operation? Didn't she
in fact owe him the whole marriage service contract? When she thought of
the figure of him in his purple-striped pyjamas dancing in a paroxysm of
exasperation, that sense of responsibility which was one of her innate
characteristics reproached her. She had a curious persuasion that she
must be dreadfully to blame for provoking so ridiculous, so extravagant
an outbreak....

Sec.2

She heard him getting up tumultuously and when she came down,--after a
brief interview with her mother who was still keeping her room,--she
found him sitting at the breakfast-table eating toast and marmalade in
a greedy malignant manner. The tentative propitiations of his proposal
to make things up had entirely disappeared, he was evidently in a far
profounder rage with her than he had been overnight. Snagsby too, that
seemly domestic barometer, looked extraordinarily hushed and grave. She
made a greeting-like noise and Sir Isaac scrunched "morning" up amongst
a crowded fierce mouthful of toast. She helped herself to tea and bacon
and looking up presently discovered his eye fixed upon her with an
expression of ferocious hatred....

He went off in the big car, she supposed to London, about ten and she
helped her mother to pack and depart by a train a little after midday.
She made a clumsy excuse for not giving that crisp little trifle of
financial assistance she was accustomed to, and Mrs. Sawbridge was
anxiously tactful about the disappointment. They paid a visit of
inspection and farewell to the nursery before the departure. Then Lady
Harman was left until lunch to resume her meditation upon this
unprecedented breach that had opened between her husband and herself.
She was presently moved to write a little note to Lady Beach-Mandarin
expressing her intention of attending a meeting of the Social Friends
and asking whether the date was