, I thought that you had
realized the situation, that you saw that I found life with you
detestable and intolerable, and that you meant to give me a chance to
divorce you. I employed a private detective with what I had saved out
of the house-money, and had you watched. The detective reported that
there was nothing good enough--or bad enough----for the High Court,
and that the woman seemed to be doing most of the work.

"So as the mixture of cowardice and selfishness which you call your
conscience would not let you give me a chance to divorce you, I
determined to make you divorce me. The first thing to do was to get
you out of the way. It is so trying and undignified to elope if a
husband is looking on, and possibly interfering. So I adopted a system
of intensive spring-cleaning. I don't think I left out anything which
could inconvenience and annoy you. It went on and on. No house has
been spring-cleaned like this since the world began. I fancy it was
the whitewash over your books that finally shunted you. You left in
the early morning. I packed at leisure and left in the evening, taking
with me a gentleman who financed that great success, Doom Dagshaw's
Mammoth Circus.

"As he is not in the book, I may mention that he is a Mr. Nathan
Samuel. But no matter. A nose by any other name would smell as
efficiently. He is a true Christian with no fault except his love for
me.

"The necessary particulars will be sent to your solicitors, and I hope
you will then get busy.

"Ta-ta, old crock. Yours, Mabel.

"P.S.--You shouldn't leave oxalic acid about like that. Don't you know
it's a poison? I've hidden it underneath your dress-shirts, in case of
accidents."

Luke put the letter down. There was a step outside the door and Dot
entered.

"Thought I should find you here," said Dot. "Everything all right?"

"Couldn't be better. But why did she leave the letter on the hot-water
tap?"

"Oh, that was just a little joke of hers. She said you always got into
any hot water that might be going about, and so you'd be sure to find
it there."

"Do you see what this means, Dot? It means that in future we can play
at boats without any fear of interruption."

"M'yes," said Dot. "It's not the very devil of a game, is it? Been
over the house yet? I must say it does look nice, now all the cleaning
and decorating's finished. Albert and Hector both noticed it."

"Yes, very nice. I suppose you and Dash would like to be getting
dinner f