le's little household there had been no rising to
grandeur; but then, also, there had never been any bathos of dirt. Of
this also Crosbie thought as he sat with his tea in his hand.

He soon, however, got himself away. When he rose to go Alexandrina
also rose, and he was permitted to press his nose against her
cheekbone by way of a salute.

"Good-night, Adolphus," said the countess, putting out her hand to
him. "But stop a minute; I know there is something I want you to
do for me. But you will look in as you go to your office to-morrow
morning."

CHAPTER XLI

Domestic Troubles

When Crosbie was making his ineffectual inquiry after Lady de
Courcy's bracelet at Lambert's, John Eames was in the act of entering
Mrs Roper's front door in Burton Crescent.

"Oh, John, where's Mr Cradell?" were the first words which greeted
him, and they were spoken by the divine Amelia. Now, in her usual
practice of life, Amelia did not interest herself much as to the
whereabouts of Mr Cradell.

"Where's Cradell?" said Eames, repeating the question. "Upon my word,
I don't know. I walked to the office with him, but I haven't seen him
since. We don't sit in the same room, you know."

"John!" and then she stopped.

"What's up now?" said John.

"John! That woman's off and left her husband. As sure as your name's
John Eames, that foolish fellow has gone off with her."

"What, Cradell? I don't believe it."

"She went out of this house at two o'clock in the afternoon, and has
never been back since." That, certainly, was only four hours from
the present time, and such an absence from home in the middle of
the day was but weak evidence on which to charge a married woman
with the great sin of running off with a lover. This Amelia felt,
and therefore she went on to explain. "He's there upstairs in the
drawing-room, the very picture of disconsolateness."

"Who,--Cradell?"

"Lupex is. He's been drinking a little, I'm afraid; but he's very
unhappy, indeed. He had an appointment to meet his wife here at four
o'clock, and when he came he found her gone. He rushed up into their
room, and now he says she has broken open a box he had and taken off
all his money."

"But he never had any money."

"He paid mother some the day before yesterday."

"That's just the reason he shouldn't have any to-day."

"She certainly has taken things she wouldn't have taken if she'd
merely gone out shopping or anything like that, for I've been up in