ife to get a liking for it, and in an instant it is all taken
away and nothing given her in its place. It ain't commonsense, it--"

"It may not be," said Chetwynd wearily; "but there are women
nevertheless to whom home and husband are all-sufficient and who ask
for nothing beyond."

"You made a great mistake, Mr. Chetwynd, when you--"

"I did," he interrupted quickly; "you are perfectly right; I did when
I believed my wife and your daughter to be one of these. Well," and
he rose wearily, "she has put a barrier between us to-night that can
never be broken down."

"Tut, tut, man; you have got your duty to do by her, and I'll take
good care you do it. She is doing no wrong to join her profession
again."

"Our ideas as to right and wrong probably differ. I am certainly not
going to argue the point, nor do I wish to shirk what responsibility
I took on my shoulders when I married. But if it is upon your advice
she has acted in this matter, ask God to forgive you for the cruel
wrong you have done us both!"

Then he picked up his hat and went out of the house. It was long past
midnight when Bella returned; but late though it was, she knew by the
lights in the drawing room that her husband was waiting up for her,
and with an impatient sigh, determined to get her lecture over, she
ran lightly up-stairs.

He was there, sitting in her own cosy armchair, and he looked round
expectantly as the door opened.

"Well," she said nervously, stripping off her gloves, and avoiding
meeting his stern, sad gaze. "I daresay you wonder where I have been
and what has kept me so late; but, my dear old Jack, you will have to
give up the bad habit of sitting up to all hours for me, for I'm
likely to be late most nights now."

She paused for a reply, but none came. Her easy assurance staggered
him; he could hardly believe that this self-composed, glib-spoken
young woman had been at one time his diffident, shy little love. The
unhappy man found it very hard to reconcile the two. "Why don't you
speak?" she asked impatiently, facing him in a defiant manner; and as
he looked up at her he noticed for the first time that she had grown
older and had lost all at once--at least, so it seemed to him--the
rounded, childish look from her sweet face and involuntarily a sigh
broke from him.

"One would think I had committed a crime," cried she in disdain, and
then, catching her skirts up, she broke into a step dance, humming a
popular music-hall air.