an explanation, and so things went on in
their old way.

In one respect only, changing still more
painfully, still more markedly; in rny husband's
conduct to me. He was like another
creature altogether to me now, he was so
altered. He seldom spoke to me at all, and
he never spoke kindly. All that I did annoyed
him, all that I said irritated him; and once
(the little widow covered her face with her
hands and shuddered) he spurned me with
his foot and cursed me, one night in our own
room, when I knelt weeping before him, supplicating
him for pity's sake to tell me how I
had offended him. But I said to myself that
he was tired, annoyed, and that it was irritating
to see a loving woman's tears; and so
I excused him, as oftentimes before, and went
on loving him all the same—God forgive me
for my idolatry!

Things had been very bad of late between
Ellen and my husband. But the character
of their discord was changed. Instead of
reproaching, they watched each other incessantly.
They put me in mind of fencers—my
husband on the defensive.

"Mary," said my sister to me suddenly,
coming to the sofa where I was sitting
embroidering my poor baby's cap. " What
does your Harry do in life? What is his
profession?"

She fixed her eyes on me earnestly.

"I do not know, darling," I answered,
vaguely. "He has no profession that I
know of."

'' But what fortune has he, then? Did he
not tell you what his income was, and how
obtained, when he married? To us, he
said only that he had so much a year—a
thousand a year; and he would say no
more. But, has he not been more explicit
with you ? "

"No," I answered, considering; for, indeed,
I had never thought of this. I had trusted
so blindly to him in everything that it would
have seemed to me, a profound insult to have
even asked of his affairs. " No, he never told me
anything about his fortune, Ellen. He gives
me money when I want it, and is always
generous. He seems to have plenty; whenever
it is asked for, he has it by him, and gives
me even more than I require."

Still her eyes kept looking at me in that
strange manner. " And this is all you
know"

"Yes—all. What more should I wish to
know? Is he not the husband, and has he
not absolute right over everything! I have
no business to interfere." The words sound
harsher now than they did then, for I spoke
lovingly.

Ellen touched the little cap I held. "Does
not this make you anxious? " she said.
"Can you not fear as a mother, even while
you love as a wife?"

"Fear, darling! Why? What should I
fear, or whom? What is there, Ellen, on your
heart? " I then added passionately. " Tell
me at once; for I know that you have
some terrible secret concealed from me; and
I would rather know anything—whatever it
may be—than live on, longer, in this kind of
suspense and anguish! it is too much for
me to bear, Ellen."

She took my hands. " Have you strength?"
she said, earnestly. "Could you really bear the
truth? " Then seeing my distress, for I had
fallen into a kind of hysterical fit—I was
very delicate then—she shook her head in
despair, and, letting my hands fall heavily
on my lap, said in an under tone, " No, no!
she is too weak—too childish! " Then
she went upstairs abruptly; and I heard
her walking about her own room for nearly
an hour after, in long steady steps.

I have often thought that, had she told
me then, and taken me to her heart
—her strong, brave, noble heart—I could have
derived courage from it, and could have
borne the dreadful truth I was forced to
know afterwards. But the strong are so
impatient with us! They leave us too soon
—their own strength revolts at our weakness;
so we are often left, broken in this
weakness, for want of a little patience and
sympathy.

Harry came in, a short time after Ellen
had left me. " What has she been saying?"
he cried, passionately. His eyes were wild
and bloodshot; his beautiful black hair
flung all in disorder about his face.

"Dear Harry, she has said nothing about
you," I answered, trembling. " She only
asked what was your profession, and how
much we had a year. That was all."

"Why did she ask this? What business
was it of hers? " cried Harry, fiercely.
"Tell me;" and he shook me roughly;
"what did you answer her, little fool?"

"Oh, nothing; " and I began to cry: it was
because he frightened me. "I said, what is
true, that I knew nothing of your affairs, as
indeed what concern is it of mine? I could
say nothing more, Harry."

"Better that than too much," he muttered;
and then he flung me harshly back on the sofa,
saying, "Tears and folly and weakness!
The same round—always the same! Why
did I marry a mere pretty doll—a plaything
—no wife!"

And then he seemed to think he had said
too much: for he came to me and kissed me,
and said that he loved me. But, for
the first time in our married life his kisses
did not soothe me, nor did I believe his
assurances.

All that night I heard Ellen walk steadily
and unresting through her room. She never
slackened her pace, she never stopped, she
never hurried; but, the same slow measured
tread went on; the firm foot, yet light, falling
as if to music, her very step the same mixture
of manliness and womanhood as her character.

After this burst of passion Harry's tenderness