joke was one which a young wife might take with
pleasure from her husband, but her life had already been too much
embittered for any such delight. Yes; the time was coming when that
trouble also would be added to her. She dreaded she knew not what,
and had often told herself that it would be better that she should be
childless.

"Do you like him?" she said.

"Like him. No;--I can't say I like him. He is useful, and in one
sense honest."

"Is he not honest in all senses?"

"That's a large order. To tell you the truth, I don't know any man
who is."

"Everett is honest."

"He loses money at play which he can't pay without assistance from
his father. If his father had refused, where would then have been his
honesty? Sexty is as honest as others, I dare say, but I shouldn't
like to trust him much farther than I can see him. I shan't go up to
town to-morrow, and we'll both look in on them after luncheon."

In the afternoon the call was made. The Parkers, having children, had
dined early, and he was sitting out in a little porch smoking his
pipe, drinking whisky and water, and looking at the sea. His eldest
girl was standing between his legs, and his wife, with the other
three children round her, was sitting on the doorstep. "I've brought
my wife to see you," said Lopez, holding out his hand to Mrs. Parker,
as she rose from the ground.

"I told her that you'd be coming," said Sexty, "and she wanted me
to put off my pipe and little drop of drink; but I said that if
Mrs. Lopez was the lady I took her to be she wouldn't begrudge a
hard-working fellow his pipe and glass on a holiday."

There was a soundness of sense in this which mollified any feeling of
disgust which Emily might have felt at the man's vulgarity. "I think
you are quite right, Mr. Parker. I should be very sorry if,--if--"

"If I was to put my pipe out. Well, I won't. You'll take a glass of
sherry, Lopez? Though I'm drinking spirits myself, I brought down a
hamper of sherry wine. Oh, nonsense;--you must take something. That's
right, Jane. Let us have the stuff and the glasses, and then they can
do as they like." Lopez lit a cigar, and allowed his host to pour
out for him a glass of "sherry wine," while Mrs. Lopez went into the
house with Mrs. Parker and the children.

Mrs. Parker opened herself out to her new friend immediately. She
hoped that they two might see "a deal of each other;--that is, if
you don't think me too pushing." Sextus, she said, wa