basket on the table. "And, oh--what a wretched fire! Have you no coals?"

"Neither coals nor food nor drink," he answered, sullenly, "nor money in
my pocket either."

The woman stood and looked at him. "You had two pounds the day before
yesterday," she said.

"Billiards," he answered, laconically. But he turned away so as not to
see her face.

She gave a short, sharp exclamation. "You promised to be careful!"

"The luck was against me," he said. "I thought I should win, but my
hand's taken to shaking so much that I couldn't play. I don't see why
you should blame me--I've precious few amusements."

She did not answer, but began to take the parcels, one by one, from her
basket, and place them on the table. Her own hands shook a little as she
did so. Francis turned again to watch her operations. She took out some
tea, bread, butter, eggs, and bacon. There was a bottle of brandy and a
bundle of cigars. Francis Trent's eyes glistened at the sight. He stole
closer to his wife, and put his arm around her.

"You're a good soul, Mary. You'll forgive me, won't you? Upon my honor,
I never meant to lose the money."

"I have to work hard enough for it," she said dryly.

"I know you have! It's a shame--a d----d shame! If I had my way, you
should be dressed in satin, and sit all day with your hands before you,
and ride in your own carriage--you know you should!"

"I don't know that I should particularly care about that kind of life,"
said Mary, still coldly, but with a perceptible softening of her eye and
relaxation of the stiff upper lip. "I would rather live on a farm in the
country, and do farm-work. It's healthier, yes, and it's happier--to my
thinking."

"So it is; and that's the life we'll lead by and by, when Oliver pays us
what he has promised," said Francis, eagerly. "We will have some land of
our own, and get far away from the temptation of the city. Then you will
see what a different fellow I'll be, Mary. You shan't have reason to
complain of me then."

"Well, I hope so, Francis," she said, but not too hopefully. Perhaps she
noticed that his hand and eye both strayed, as if involuntarily, towards
the bottle of spirits on the table. And at that moment, the last flicker
of light from the fire went out.

"Have you no candles?" she asked, abruptly.

"Not one."

"I'll go out and fetch them, and some coal too. Sit down quietly, and
wait. I won't be long. And as I haven't a corkscrew, I'll take the
bottle with m