and, and expects her
to be satisfied with what he has done; and she is such a dear, gentle
thing that she never objects. It is 'Yes, dear Hugh,' or 'certainly,
if you wish it, Hugh,' from morning to night; somehow that sickens a
fellow. I dare say she is a little childish and crude in her ideas;
that aunt of hers must be a duffer to have brought her up like a
little nun; but she is sensible in her way. Hugh had no idea that she
was reading the paper for an hour yesterday, that she might talk to
him about that case in which he is so interested, or he would hardly
have snubbed her as he did, by telling her she knew nothing about it.
She looked so disappointed, poor little thing, there were tears in her
eyes; but Hugh never saw them, he never does see if she is a little
tired or dull, and I don't call that treating a wife well."

Erle was working himself up into quite a virtuous fit of indignation
on Fay's behalf; but presently he became secretly anxious. Before the
end of his visit he grew afraid that more was amiss with Hugh than he
at first guessed. He had often stayed with him before, and Hugh had
visited them at Belgrave House, but he had never noticed any sign of
self-indulgence.

He thought Hugh was beginning to take more wine than was good for him.
He complained of sleeping badly, and had recourse to narcotics. He was
reckless of his health too, and worked often far into the night, and
when Erle remonstrated with him, he only said he could not sleep, and
he might as well occupy himself.

But in reality he never guessed, except in a vague way, the real
reason for this change in his cousin. He would have been shocked and
startled if he had known the strange morbid fever that was robbing
Hugh of all rest.

He was hungering and thirsting for the sight of a face that he said to
himself he had better never look on again; his very nearness to
Margaret kept him restless, and made his life intolerable.

What a fool he had been to marry, he told himself; to let that child
bind him down to this sort of life. If he could only break away for a
time--if he could travel and try what change would do for him; but
this quiet existence was maddening.

He was trying his fine constitution terribly, and he knew it. He would
tire himself out riding over his estate, and then sit up over his
letters and accounts half the night, till his brain seemed stupefied,
and yet he had no wish for sleep.

Erle told him he looked haggard and