orld was perfectly
aware of the ownership of the house, and her references to the matter
amounted to a lack of tact. Several times Toby had indicated as much.
But Priscilla took no heed. She had the hide of an alligator herself
(though a personable girl), and she assumed that her husband's hide was
of similar stuff. This assumption was justifiable, except that in just
one spot the skin of Toby was tender. He really did not care to be
reminded that he was living under his wife's roof. The reiteration
settled on his nerves like a malady. And before a year had elapsed
Priscilla had contrived to remind him once too often. And one day he
put some things in a carpet-bag, and a hat on his head, and made for
the door. The house was antique, and the front-parlour gave directly on
to the street.

'Where be going?' Priscilla asked him.

He hesitated a second, and said--

'Merica.'

And he was. In the Five Towns we are apt to end our marriages in that
laconic manner. Toby did not complain too much; he simply and
unaffectedly went. It might be imagined that the situation was a trying
one for Priscilla. Not so! Priscilla had experienced marriage with Toby
and had found it wanting. She was content to be relieved of Toby. She
had her house and her money and her self-esteem, and also tranquillity.
She accepted the solution, and devoted her days to the cleanliness of
the house.

Toby drew all the money he had out of the Bursley and Turnhill
Permanent Fifty Pounds Benefit Building Society (four shares, nearly
paid up) and set sail--in the Adriatic, which was then the leading
greyhound of the Atlantic--for New York. From New York he went to
Trenton (New Jersey), which is the Five Towns of America. A man of his
skill in handling clay on a wheel had no difficulty whatever in
wresting a good livelihood from Trenton. When he had tarried there a
year he caused a letter to be written to his wife informing her that he
was dead. He wished to be quite free; and also (we have our feeling for
justice) he wished his wife to be quite free. It did not occur to him
that he had done anything extraordinary, either in deserting his wife
or in forwarding false news of his death. He had done the simple thing,
the casual thing, the blunt thing, the thing that necessitated the
minimum of talking. He did not intend to return to England.

However, after a few years, he did return to England. The cause of his
return is irrelevant to the history, but I may