returned,
and the words went out of her head.

* * * * *

A good deal of sympathy was felt for Mrs. Blake. The man had a charming
wife; he might have kept straight; but as his friends added, "Blake
always was a cad."

AN ITEM OF FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE

Speaking personally, I do not like the Countess of ---. She is not the
type of woman I could love. I hesitate the less giving expression to
this sentiment by reason of the conviction that the Countess of --- would
not be unduly depressed even were the fact to reach her ears. I cannot
conceive the Countess of ---'s being troubled by the opinion concerning
her of any being, human or divine, other than the Countess of ---.

But to be honest, I must admit that for the Earl of --- she makes an
ideal wife. She rules him as she rules all others, relations and
retainers, from the curate to the dowager, but the rod, though firmly
held, is wielded with justice and kindly intent. Nor is it possible to
imagine the Earl of ---'s living as contentedly as he does with any
partner of a less dominating turn of mind. He is one of those
weak-headed, strong-limbed, good-natured, childish men, born to be guided
in all matters, from the tying of a neck-cloth to the choice of a
political party, by their women folk. Such men are in clover when their
proprietor happens to be a good and sensible woman, but are to be pitied
when they get into the hands of the selfish or the foolish. As very
young men, they too often fall victims to bad-tempered chorus girls or to
middle-aged matrons of the class from which Pope judged all womankind.
They make capital husbands when well managed; treated badly, they say
little, but set to work, after the manner of a dissatisfied cat, to find
a kinder mistress, generally succeeding. The Earl of --- adored his
wife, deeming himself the most fortunate of husbands, and better
testimonial than such no wife should hope for. Till the day she snatched
him away from all other competitors, and claimed him for her own, he had
obeyed his mother with a dutifulness bordering on folly. Were the
countess to die to-morrow, he would be unable to tell you his mind on any
single subject until his eldest daughter and his still unmarried sister,
ladies both of strong character, attracted towards one another by a
mutual antagonism, had settled between themselves which was to be
mistress of him and of his house.

However, there is little fear (bar accidents) but