would at least give
faithful work for his wages until the day of final breakdown.

But, midway in the week, Carter discovered how ill his clerk was.

'You ought to be in bed, my dear fellow, with gruel and mustard plasters
and all the rest of it. Go home and take care of yourself--I insist upon
it.'

Before leaving the office, Reardon wrote a few lines to Biffen, whom he
had visited on the Monday. 'Come and see me if you can. I am down with a
bad cold, and have to keep in for the rest of the week. All the same,
I feel far more cheerful. Bring a new chapter of your exhilarating
romance.'

CHAPTER XXVI. MARRIED WOMAN'S PROPERTY

On her return from church that Sunday Mrs Edmund Yule was anxious to
learn the result of the meeting between Amy and her husband. She hoped
fervently that Amy's anomalous position would come to an end now that
Reardon had the offer of something better than a mere clerkship. John
Yule never ceased to grumble at his sister's permanence in the house,
especially since he had learnt that the money sent by Reardon each month
was not made use of; why it should not be applied for household expenses
passed his understanding.

'It seems to me,' he remarked several times, 'that the fellow only does
his bare duty in sending it. What is it to anyone else whether he
lives on twelve shillings a week or twelve pence? It is his business
to support his wife; if he can't do that, to contribute as much to her
support as possible. Amy's scruples are all very fine, if she could
afford them; it's very nice to pay for your delicacies of feeling out of
other people's pockets.'

'There'll have to be a formal separation,' was the startling
announcement with which Amy answered her mother's inquiry as to what had
passed.

'A separation? But, my dear--!'

Mrs Yule could not express her disappointment and dismay.

'We couldn't live together; it's no use trying.'

'But at your age, Amy! How can you think of anything so shocking? And
then, you know it will be impossible for him to make you a sufficient
allowance.'

'I shall have to live as well as I can on the seventy-five pounds a
year. If you can't afford to let me stay with you for that, I must go
into cheap lodgings in the country, like poor Mrs Butcher did.'

This was wild talking for Amy. The interview had upset her, and for the
rest of the day she kept apart in her own room. On the morrow Mrs Yule
succeeded in eliciting a clear account of the conversat