abuse him, and takes his very 'money, having none of
her own, and still----"

"Did I say she took his money, Nelly?" said Jenny. "Well of course--not
to be unfair--some men are such generous fools, you know--he may have
given it to her."

"No matter; taken or given, she has got it, I suppose, and is living on
it now."

"Oh, yes, certainly, that's very sure," said Jenny; "but then she's his
wife, you see, and naturally her maintenance----"

"Maintenance!" cried Mrs. Quig-gin. "How many children has she got?"

"None," said Jenny. "At least I haven't heard of any."

"Then she ought to be ashamed of herself for thinking of such a thing."

"I quite agree with you, Nelly," said Jenny.

"If I were a man," said Mrs. Quiggin, "and my wife turned me out of
doors----"

"Did I say that, Nelly? Well not exactly that--no, not turned him out of
doors exactly, Nelly."

"It's all one, Jenny. If a woman behaves so that her husband can not
live with her what is she doing but turning him out of doors?"

"But, Nelly!" cried Jenny, rising suddenly. "What about Captain Davy?"

Then there was a blank silence. Mrs. Quiggin had been borne along on
the torrent of her indignation, brooking no objection, and sweeping down
every obstacle, until brought up sharply by Jenny's question--like a
river that flows fastest and makes most noise where the bowlders in its
course are biggest, but breaks itself at last against the brant sides
of some impassable rock. She drew her breath in one silent spasm, turned
from feverish red to deadly pale, quivered about the mouth, twitched
about the eyelids, rose stiffly on her half-rigid limbs, and then fell
on Jenny with loud and hot reproaches.

"How dare you, Jenny Crow?" she cried.

"Dare what, my dear?" said Jenny.

"Say that I've turned my husband out of doors, and that I've taken his
money, and that I am a cat and shrew, and a nagger, and that there ought
to be a law to put me down."

"My dear Nelly," said Jenny, "it was yourself that said so. I was
speaking of the wife of the Manx sailor."

"Yes, but you were thinking of me," said Mrs. Quiggin.

"I was thinking of her," said Jenny.

"You were thinking of me as well," said Mrs. Quiggin.

"I tell you that I was only thinking of her," said Jenny.

"You were thinking of me, Jenny Crow--you know you were; and you meant
that I was as bad as she was. But circumstances alter cases, and my case
is different. My husband is turning _me_ out of do