able to him. So he made his
calculations, and found that it would be well that his bride should
go. He would give over his house and furniture to Gazebee, allowing
Gazebee to do as he would about that. To be once more a bachelor, in
lodgings, with six hundred a year to spend on himself, seemed to him
now such a prospect of happiness that he almost became light-hearted
as he dressed himself. He would let her go to Baden-Baden.

There was nothing said about it at dinner, nor did he mention the
subject again till the servant had left the tea-things on the
drawing-room table. "You can go with your mother if you like it," he
then said.

"I think it will be best," she answered.

"Perhaps it will. At any rate you shall suit yourself."

"And about money?"

"You had better leave me to speak to Gazebee about that."

"Very well. Will you have some tea?" And then the whole thing was
finished.

On the next day she went after lunch to her mother's house, and never
came back again to Princess Royal Crescent. During that morning she
packed up those things which she cared to pack herself, and sent her
sisters there, with an old family servant, to bring away whatever
else might be supposed to belong to her. "Dear, dear," said Amelia,
"what trouble I had in getting these things together for them, and
only the other day. I can't but think she's wrong to go away."

"I don't know," said Margaretta. "She has not been so lucky as you
have in the man she has married. I always felt that she would find it
difficult to manage him."

"But, my dear, she has not tried. She has given up at once. It isn't
management that was wanting. The fact is that when Alexandrina began
she didn't make up her mind to the kind of thing she was coming to. I
did. I knew it wasn't to be all party-going and that sort of thing.
But I must own that Crosbie isn't the same sort of man as Mortimer. I
don't think I could have gone on with him. You might as well have
those small books put up; he won't care about them." And in this way
Crosbie's house was dismantled.

She saw him no more, for he made no farewell visit to the house in
Portman Square. A note had been brought to him at his office: "I
am here with mamma, and may as well say good-bye now. We start on
Tuesday. If you wish to write, you can send your letters to the
housekeeper here. I hope you will make yourself comfortable, and that
you will be well. Yours affectionately, A. C." He made no answer to
it,