then a flash of
astonishment passed over his face.

'Elsmere has never told you of Charles Richards the little gas-fitter,
who has been his right hand for the past three months?'

'No--never,' she said slowly.

Again he looked astonished; then he went on sadly: 'All this spring he
has been your husband's shadow, never saw such devotion. We found him
lying in the middle of the road. He had only just left work, a man said,
who had been with him, and was running to the meeting. He slipped and
fell, crossing the street, which was muddy from last night's rain. The
dray swung round the corner--the driver was drunk or careless--and they
went right over him. One foot was a sickening sight. Your husband and I
luckily know how to lift him for the best. We sent off for doctors.
His home was in the next street, as it as it happened--nearer than any
hospital; so we carried him there. The neighbors were around the door.'

Then he stopped himself.

'Shall I tell you the whole story?' he said kindly, 'it has been a
tragedy! I won't give you details if you had rather not.'

'Oh, no!' she said hurriedly; 'no--tell me.'

And she forgot to feel any wonder that Flaxman, in his chivalry, should
treat her as though she were a girl with nerves.

'Well, it was the surroundings that were so ghastly. When we got to the
house, an old woman rushed at me, "His wife's in there, but ye'll
not find her in her senses; she's been at it from eight o'clock this
morning. We've took the children away." I didn't know what she meant
exactly till we got into the little front room. There, such a spectacle!
A young woman on a chair by the fire sleeping heavily, dead drunk; the
breakfast things on the table, the sun blazing in on the dust and the
dirt, and on the woman's face. I wanted to carry him into the room on
the other side--he was unconscious; but a doctor had come up with us,
and made us put him down on a bed there was in the corner. Then we got
some brandy and poured it down. The doctor examined him, looked at his
foot, threw something over it. "Nothing to be done," he said--"internal
injuries--he can't live half an hour." The next minute the poor fellow
opened his eyes. They had pulled away the bed from the wall. Your
husband was on the further side, knelling. When he opened his eyes,
clearly the first thing he saw was his wife. He half sprang up--Elsmere
caught him--and gave a horrible cry--indescribably horrible. "_At it
again, at it again! My