ad mechanically pushed her before him into the long, darkened
parlour, and he shut himself in there with her now, to keep the
household from hearing her lifted voice. For a while he stood
bewildered, and could not have answered if he would, and then he would
not. He merely asked, "Have I ever accused you of anything wrong,
Persis?"

"You no need to!" she answered furiously, placing herself against the
closed door.

"Did you ever know me to do anything out of the way?"

"That isn't what I asked you."

"Well, I guess you may find out about that girl yourself. Get away
from the door."

"I won't get away from the door."

She felt herself set lightly aside, and her husband opened the door and
went out. "I WILL find out about her," she screamed after him. "I'll
find out, and I'll disgrace you. I'll teach you how to treat me----"

The air blackened round her: she reeled to the sofa and then she found
herself waking from a faint. She did not know how long she had lain
there, she did not care. In a moment her madness came whirling back
upon her. She rushed up to his room; it was empty; the closet-doors
stood ajar and the drawers were open; he must have packed a bag hastily
and fled. She went out and wandered crazily up and down till she found
a hack. She gave the driver her husband's business address, and told
him to drive there as fast as he could; and three times she lowered the
window to put her head out and ask him if he could not hurry. A
thousand things thronged into her mind to support her in her evil will.
She remembered how glad and proud that man had been to marry her, and
how everybody said she was marrying beneath her when she took him. She
remembered how good she had always been to him, how perfectly devoted,
slaving early and late to advance him, and looking out for his
interests in all things, and sparing herself in nothing. If it had not
been for her, he might have been driving stage yet; and since their
troubles had begun, the troubles which his own folly and imprudence had
brought on them, her conduct had been that of a true and faithful wife.
Was HE the sort of man to be allowed to play her false with impunity?
She set her teeth and drew her breath sharply through them when she
thought how willingly she had let him befool her, and delude her about
that memorandum of payments to Mrs. M., because she loved him so much,
and pitied him for his cares and anxieties. She recalled his
confusion