easonable force! You
may say it puts a woman in a worse position as a wife than she would be
if she were a mistress. That's true, but it's the law, and once a woman
has married a man, the only escape from this condition of submission is
imprisonment."

"Then I would rather that--a thousand times rather," I said, for I was
hot with anger and indignation.

Again the advocate smiled indulgently, patted my arm, and answered me as
if I were a child.

"Tut, tut, my dear, tut, tut! You've made a marriage that is founded on
suitability of position, property and education, and everything will
come right by and by. Don't act on a fit of pique or spleen, and so
destroy your happiness, and that of everybody about you. Think of your
father. Remember what he has done to make this marriage. I may tell you
that he has paid forty thousand pounds to discharge your husband's debts
and undertaken responsibility for an allowance of six thousand a year
beside. Do you want him to lose all that money?"

I was so sick with disgust at hearing this that I could not speak, and
the advocate, who, in his different way, was as dead to my real feelings
as my husband had been, went on to say:

"Come, be reasonable. You may have suffered some slight, some indignity.
No doubt you have. Your husband is proud and he has peculiarities of
temper which we have all to make allowances for. But even if you could
establish a charge of cruelty against him and so secure a
separation--which you can't--what good would that do you? None at
all--worse than none! The financial arrangements would remain the same.
Your father would be a frightful loser. And what would you be? A married
widow! The worst condition in the world for a woman--especially if she
is young and attractive, and subject to temptations. Ask anybody who
knows--anybody."

I felt as if I would suffocate with shame.

"Come now," said the advocate in his superior way, taking my hand as if
he were going to lead me like a child to my husband, "let us put an end
to this little trouble. His lordship is downstairs and he has
consented--kindly and generously consented--to wait an hour for your
answer. But he must leave the island by the afternoon steamer, and
if. . . ."

"Then tell him he must leave it without me," I said, as well as I could
for the anger that was choking me.

The advocate looked steadily into my face. I think he understood the
situation at last.

"You mean that--really and truly m