to Portman Square with a long tale of her
sufferings.

"Oh, mamma! you would not believe it; but he hardly ever speaks to
me."

"My dear, there are worse faults in a man than that."

"I am alone there all the day. I never get out. He never offers to
get me a carriage. He asked me to walk with him once last week, when
it was raining. I saw that he waited till the rain began. Only think,
I have not been out three evenings this month,--except to Amelia's;
and now he says he won't go there any more, because a fly is so
expensive. You can't believe how uncomfortable the house is."

"I thought you chose it, my dear."

"I looked at it, but, of course, I didn't know what a house ought
to be. Amelia said it wasn't nice, but he would have it. He hates
Amelia. I'm sure of that, for he says everything he can to snub her
and Mr Gazebee. Mr Gazebee is as good as he, at any rate. What do
you think? He has given Richard warning to go. You never saw him,
but he was a very good servant. He has given him warning, and he is
not talking of getting another man. I won't live with him without
somebody to wait upon me."

"My dearest girl, do not think of such a thing as leaving him."

"But I will think of it, mamma. You do not know what my life is in
that house. He never speaks to me,--never. He comes home before
dinner at half-past six, and when he has just shown himself he goes
to his dressing-room. He is always silent at dinner-time, and after
dinner he goes to sleep. He breakfasts always at nine, and goes away
at half-past nine, though I know he does not get to his office till
eleven. If I want anything, he says that it cannot be afforded. I
never thought before that he was stingy, but I am sure now that he
must be a miser at heart."

"It is better so than a spendthrift, Alexandrina."

"I don't know that it is better. He could not make me more unhappy
than I am. Unhappy is no word for it. What can I do, shut up in such
a house as that by myself from nine o'clock in the morning till six
in the evening? Everybody knows what he is, so that nobody will come
to see me. I tell you fairly, mamma, I will not stand it. If you
cannot help me, I will look for help elsewhere."

It may, at any rate, be said that things were not going well with
that branch of the de Courcy family. Nor, indeed, was it going well
with some other branches. Lord Porlock had married, not having
selected his partner for life from the choicest cream of the
aristo