he
wife whom God has given him. It's his business to unite people, not to
put them apart. As for this dear child, I have loved her since she was
an infant in arms, and never so much as at the present speaking, so I
don't need to learn my duty from one who appears to care no more for her
than for the rind of a lemon. I'll go, sir," said the old man, drawing
himself up like a wounded lion, "but it's not to your protection I
leave her--it's to that of God's blessed and holy love and will."

My husband had gone before the last words were spoken, but I think they
must have followed him as he went lunging down the stairs.

During this humiliating scene a hot flush of shame had come to my cheeks
and I wanted to tell Father Dan not to let it grieve him, but I could do
nothing but stoop and kiss his hand.

Meantime two or three of the servants had gathered on the landing at the
sound of my husband's voice, and among them was the flinty housekeeper
holding the Father's little bag, and she gave it back to him as he
passed her.

Then, all being over, the woman came into my room, with an expression of
victorious mischief in her eyes and said:

"Your ladyship had better have listened to them as knows, you see."

I was too benumbed by that cruel stroke to reply, but Price said enough
for both of us.

"If them as knows," she said, "don't get out of this room inside two
seconds they'll get their ugly faces slapped."

* * * * *

I thought I had reached the end of my power of endurance, and that
night, before going to bed, while my maid was taking down my hair, and I
was thinking of Martin and asking myself if I should put up with my
husband's brutalities any longer, I heard her say:

"If I were a lady married to the wrong man, I'd have the right one if I
had to go through the divorce court for him."

Now that was so exactly the thought that was running riot in my own
tormented mind, that I flew at her like a wild cat, asking her how she
dared to say anything so abominably wicked, and telling her to take her
notice there and then.

But hardly had she left the room, when my heart was in my mouth again,
and I was trembling with fear lest she should take me at my word and
then the last of my friends would be gone.

FIFTY-EIGHTH CHAPTER

Within the next few days the house-party arrived. There would be twenty
of them at least, not counting valets and ladies' maids, so that large
as Castl