d like and that the children would
like, but at the sight of which you would put on your hat and be off to
the Club. You don't know how much I feel inclined sometimes to invite
some woman here that I like, and that I know you don't; to go and see the
people that I want to see, to go to bed when _I_ am tired, and to get up
when _I_ feel I want to get up. Two people living together are bound
both to be continually sacrificing their own desires to the other one. It
is sometimes a good thing to slacken the strain a bit."

On thinking over Ethelbertha's words afterwards, have come to see their
wisdom; but at the time I admit I was hurt and indignant.

"If your desire," I said, "is to get rid of me--"

"Now, don't be an old goose," said Ethelbertha; "I only want to get rid
of you for a little while, just long enough to forget there are one or
two corners about you that are not perfect, just long enough to let me
remember what a dear fellow you are in other respects, and to look
forward to your return, as I used to look forward to your coming in the
old days when I did not see you so often as to become, perhaps, a little
indifferent to you, as one grows indifferent to the glory of the sun,
just because he is there every day."

I did not like the tone that Ethelbertha took. There seemed to be a
frivolity about her, unsuited to the theme into which we had drifted.
That a woman should contemplate cheerfully an absence of three or four
weeks from her husband appeared to me to be not altogether nice, not what
I call womanly; it was not like Ethelbertha at all. I was worried, I
felt I didn't want to go this trip at all. If it had not been for George
and Harris, I would have abandoned it. As it was, I could not see how to
change my mind with dignity.

"Very well, Ethelbertha," I replied, "it shall be as you wish. If you
desire a holiday from my presence, you shall enjoy it; but if it be not
impertinent curiosity on the part of a husband, I should like to know
what you propose doing in my absence?"

"We will take that house at Folkestone," answered Ethelbertha, "and I'll
go down there with Kate. And if you want to do Clara Harris a good
turn," added Ethelbertha, "you'll persuade Harris to go with you, and
then Clara can join us. We three used to have some very jolly times
together before you men ever came along, and it would be just delightful
to renew them. Do you think," continued Ethelbertha, "that you could
persua