`No——howshouldyou，whenyouneverdoanythingtotrythem？’
`Thenwhydoyoutryyours，Arthur？’
`DoyouthinkIhavenothingtodobuttostayathomeandtakecareofmyselflikeawoman？’
`Isitimpossiblethen，totakecareofyourselflikeamanwhenyougoabroad？Youtoldmethatyoucould——andwouldtoo；andyoupromised——`
`Come，come，Helen，don’tbeginwiththatnonsensenow；Ican’tbearit。’
`Can’tbearwhat？——toberemindedofthepromisesyouhavebroken？’
`Helen，youarecruel。Ifyouknewhowmyheartthrobbed，andhoweverynervethrilledthroughmewhileyouspoke，youwouldspareme。
Youcanpityadoltofaservantforbreakingadish；butyouhavenocompassionforme，whenmyheadissplitintwoandallonfirewiththisconsumingfever。’
Heleanthisheadonhishand，andsighed。Iwenttohimandputmyhandonhisforehead。Itwasburningindeed。
`Thencomewithmeintothedrawing-room，Arthur；anddon’ttakeanymorewine；youhavetakenseveralglassessincedinner，andeatennexttonothingalltheday。Howcanthatmakeyoubetter？’
Withsomecoaxingandpersuasion，Igothimtoleavethetable。
WhenthebabywasbroughtItriedtoamusehimwiththat；butpoorlittleArthurwascuttinghisteeth，andhisfathercouldnotbearhiscomplaints；
sentenceofimmediatebanishmentwaspasseduponhimonthefirstindicationoffretfulness；and，because，inthecourseoftheevening，Iwenttosharehisexileforalittlewhile，Iwasreproached，onmyreturn，forpreferringmychildtomyhusband。IfoundthelatterrecliningonthesofajustasIhadlefthim。
`Well！’exclaimedtheinjuredman，inatoneofpseudoresignation。
`IthoughtIwouldn’tsendforyou；IthoughtI’djustsee——howlongitwouldpleaseyoutoleavemealone。’
`Ihavenotbeenverylong，haveI，Arthur？Ihavenotbeenanhour，I’msure。’
`Oh，ofcourse，anhourisnothingtoyou，sopleasantlyemployed；
buttome——`
`Ithasnotbeenpleasantlyemployed，’interruptedI。`Ihavebeennursingourpoorlittlebaby，whoisveryfarfromwell，andIcouldnotleavehimtillIgothimtosleep。’
`Ohtobesure，you’reoverflowingwithkindnessandpityforeverythingbutme。’
`AndwhyshouldIpityyou？whatisthematterwithyou？’
`Well！thatpasseseverything！AfterallthewearandtearthatI’vehad，whenIcomehomesickandweary，longingforcomfort，andexpectingtofindattentionandkindness，atleast，frommywife，——shecalmlyaskswhatisthematterwithme！’
`Thereisnothingthematterwithyou，’returnedI，`exceptwhatyouhavewilfullybroughtuponyourselfagainstmyearnestexhortationandentreaty。’
`Now，Helen，’saidhe，emphatically，halfrisingfromhisrecumbentposture，`ifyoubothermewithanotherword，I’llringthebellandordersixbottlesofwine——and，byHeaven，I’lldrinkthemdrybeforeIstirfromthisplace！’
Isaidnomorebutsatdownbeforethetableanddrewabooktowardsme，`Doletmehavequietnessatleast！’continuedhe，`ifyoudenymeeveryothercomfort，’andsinkingbackintohisformerposition，withanimpatientexpirationbetweenasighandagroan，helanguidlyclosedhiseyesasiftosleep。
Whatthebookwas，thatlayopenonthetablebeforeme，Icannottell，forIneverlookedatit。Withanelbowoneachsideofit，andmyhandsclaspedbeforemyeyes，Ideliveredmyselfuptosilentweeping。
ButArthurwasnotasleep：atthefirstslightsob，heraisedhisheadandlookedround，impatientlyexclaiming——
`Whatareyoucryingfor，Helen？Whatthedeuceisthematternow？’
`I’mcryingforyou，Arthur，’Ireplied，speedilydryingmytears；
andstartingup，Ithrewmyselfonmykneesbeforehim，and，claspinghisnervelesshandbetweenmyown，continued：`Don’tyouknowthatyouareapartofmyself？Anddoyouthinkyoucaninjureanddegradeyourself，andInotfeelit？’
`Degrademyself，Helen？’
Yes，degrade！Whathaveyoubeendoingallthistime？’
`You’dbetternotask，’saidhe，withafaintsmile。
`Andyouhadbetternottell——butyoucannotdenythatyouhavedegradedyourselfmiserably。Youhaveshamefullywrongedyourself，bodyandsoul——andmetoo；andIcan’tendureitquietly——andIwon’t！’
`Well，don’tsqueezemyhandsofranticallyanddon’tagitatemeso，forHeaven’ssake！Oh，Hattersley！youwereright；thiswomanwillbethedeathofme，withherkeenfeelingsandherinterestingforceofcharacter——There，there，dosparemealittle。’
`Arthur，youmustrepent！’criedI，inafrenzyofdesperation，throwingmyarmsaroundhimandburyingmyfaceinhisbosom。Youshallsayyouaresorryforwhatyouhavedone！’
`Well，well，Iam。’
`Youarenot！you’lldoitagain。’
`Ishallneverlivetodoitagain，ifyoutreatmesosavagely，’
repliedhe，pushingmefromhim。`You’venearlysqueezedthebreathoutofmybody。’Hepressedhishandtohisheart，andlookedreallyagitatedandill。
`Nowgetmeaglassofwine，’saidhe，`toremedywhatyou’vedone，youshe-tiger！I’malmostreadytofaint。’
IflewtogettherequiredremedyItseemedtorevivehimconsiderably。
`Whatashameitis，’saidI，asItooktheemptyglassfromhishand，`forastrongyoungmanlikeyoutoreduceyourselftosuchastate！’
`Ifyouknewall，mygirl，you’dsayrather，“Whatawonderitisyoucanbearitsowellasyoudo！”I’velivedmoreinthesefourmonths，Helen，thanyouhaveinthewholecourseofyourexistence，orwilltotheendofyourdays，iftheynumberedahundredyears；——soImustexpecttopayforitinsomeshape。’
`Youwillhavetopayahigherpricethanyouanticipate，ifyoudon’ttakecare——therewillbethetotallossofyourownhealth，andofmyaffectiontoo——ifthatisofanyvaluetoyou。’
`What，you’reatthatgameofthreateningmewiththelossofyouraffectionagain，areyou？Ithinkitcouldn’thavebeenverygenuinestufftobeginwith，ifit’ssoeasilydemolished。Ifyoudon’tmind，myprettytyrant，you’llmakemeregretmychoiceingoodearnest，andenvymyfriendHattersleyhismeeklittlewife——she’squiteapatterntohersex，Helen；hehadherwithhiminLondonalltheseason，andshewasnotroubleatall。Hemightamusehimselfjustashepleased，inregularbachelorstyle，andshenevercomplainedofneglect；hemightcomehomeatanyhourofthenightormorning，ornotcomehomeatall；besullensober，orgloriousdrunk；andplaythefoolorthemadmantohisownheart’sdesirewithoutanyfearorbotheration。Shenevergiveshimawordofreproachorcomplaint，dowhathewill。Hesaysthere’snotsuchajewelinallEngland，andswearshewouldn’ttakeakingdomforher，’
`Buthemakesherlifeacursetoher。’
`Nothe！Shehasnowillbuthis，andisalwayscontentedandhappyaslongasheisenjoyinghimself，’
`Inthatcase，sheisasgreatafoolasheis；butitisnotso。Ihaveseverallettersfromher，expressingthegreatestanxietyabouthisproceedings，andcomplainingthatyouincitehimtocommitthoseextravagances——oneespecially，inwhichsheimploresmetousemyinfluencewithyoutogetyouawayfromLondon，andaffirmsthatherhusbandneverdidsuchthingsbeforeyoucame，andwouldcertainlydiscontinuethemassoonasyoudepartedandlefthimtotheguidanceofhisowngoodsense。’
`Thedetestablelittletraitor！Givemetheletter，andheshallseeitassureasI’malivingman。’
`No，heshallnotseeitwithoutherconsent；butifhedid，thereisnothingtheretoangerhim——norinanyoftheothers。Sheneverspeaksawordagainsthim；itisonlyanxietyforhimthatsheexpresses。Sheonlyalludestohisconductinthemostdelicateterms，andmakeseveryexcuseforhimthatshecanpossiblythinkof——andasforherownmisery，Iratherfeelitthanseeitexpressedinherletters。’
`Butsheabusesme；andnodoubtyouhelpedher。’
`No；Itoldhersheoverratedmyinfluencewithyou，thatIwouldgladlydrawyouawayfromthetemptationsofthetownifIcould，buthadlittlehopeofsuccess，andthatIthoughtshewaswronginsupposingthatyouenticedMrHattersleyoranyoneelseintoerror。Ihad，myself，heldthecontraryopinionatonetime，butInowbelievedthatyoumutuallycorruptedeachother；and，perhaps，ifsheusedalittlegentle，butseriousremonstrancewithherhusband，itmightbeofsomeservice，asthoughhewasmoreroughhewnthanmine，Ibelievedhewasofalessimpenetrablematerial。’
`Andsothatisthewayyougoon——hearteningeachotheruptomutiny，andabusingeachother’spartners，andthrowingoutimplicationsagainstyourown，tothemutualgratificationofboth！’
`Accordingtoyourownaccount，’saidI，`myevilcounselhashadbutlittleeffectuponher，Andastoabuseandaspersions，wearebothofusfartoodeeplyashamedoftheerrorsandvicesofourotherhalves，tomakethemthecommonsubjectofourcorrespondence。Friendsasweare，wewouldwillinglykeepyourfailingstoourselves——evenfromourselvesifwecould，unlessbyknowingthemwecoulddeliveryoufromthem。’
`Well，well！don’tworrymeaboutthem：you’llnevereffectanygoodbythat。Havepatiencewithme，andbearwithmylanguorandcrossnessalittlewhile，tillIgetthiscursedlowfeveroutofmyveins，andthenyou’llfindmecheerfulandkindasever。Whycan’tyoubegentleandgoodasyouwerelasttime？——I’msureIwasverygratefulforit。’
`Andwhatgooddidyourgratitudedo？Ideludedmyselfwiththeideathatyouwereashamedofyourtransgressions，andhopedyouwouldneverrepeatthemagain；butnow，youhaveleftmenothingtohope！’
`Mycaseisquitedesperate，isit？Averyblessedconsideration，ifitwillonlysecuremefromthepainandworryofmydear，anxiouswife’seffortstoconvertme，andherfromthetoilandtroubleofsuchexertions，andhersweetfaceandsilveraccentsfromtheruinouseffectsofthesame。
Aburstofpassionisafine，rousingthinguponoccasion，Helen，andafloodoftearsismarvellouslyaffecting，but，whenindulgedtoooften，theyarebothdeucedplaguythingsforspoilingone’sbeautyandtiringoutone’sfriends。’
Thenceforth，IrestrainedmytearsandpassionsasmuchasIcould。
Isparedhimmyexhortationsandfruitlesseffortsatconversiontoo，forIsawitwasallinvain：Godmightawakenthatheartsupineandstupifiedwithself-indulgence，andremovethefilmofsensualdarknessfromhiseyes，butIcouldnot。Hisinjusticeandillhumourtowardshisinferiors，whocouldnotdefendthemselves，Istillresentedandwithstood；butwhenIalonewastheirobject，aswasfrequentlythecase，Iendureditwithcalmforbearance，exceptattimeswhenmytemper，wornoutbyrepeatedannoyances，orstungtodistractionbysomenewinstanceofirrationality，gavewayinspiteofmyself，andexposedmetotheimputationsoffierceness，cruelty，andimpatience。Iattendedcarefullytohiswantsandamusements，butnot，Iown，withthesamedevotedfondnessasbefore，becauseIcouldnotfeelit：besides，Ihadnowanotherclaimantonmytimeandcare——myailinginfant，forwhosesakeIfrequentlybravedandsufferedthereproachesandcomplaIntsofhisunreasonablyexactingfather。
ButArthurisnotnaturallyapeevishorirritableman——sofarfromitthattherewassomethingalmostludicrousintheincongruityofthisadventitiousfretfulnessandnervousirritability，rathercalculatedtoexcitelaughterthananger，ifitwerenotfortheintenselypainfulconsiderationsattendantuponthosesymptomsofadisorderedframe，——andhistempergraduallyimprovedashisbodilyhealthwasrestored，whichwasmuchsoonerthanwouldhavebeenthecase，butformystrenuousexertions；
fortherewasstillonethingabouthimthatIdidnotgiveupindespair，andoneeffortforhispreservationthatIwouldnotremit。Hisappetiteforthestimulusofwinehadincreaseduponhim，asIhadtoowellforeseen。
Itwasnowsomethingmoretohimthananaccessarytosocialenjoyment：
itwasanimportantsourceofenjoymentinitself。Inthistimeofweaknessanddepressionhewouldhavemadeithismedicineandsupport，hiscomforter，hisrecreation，andhisfriend，——andtherebysunkdeeperanddeeper——andboundhimselfdownforeverinthebathoswhereintohehadfallen。ButIdeterminedthisshouldneverbe，aslongasIhadanyinfluenceleft；
andthoughIcouldnotpreventhimfromtakingmorethanwasgoodforhim，still，byincessantperseverance，bykindnessandfirmnessandvigilance，bycoaxinganddaringanddetermination，——Isucceededinpreservinghimfromabsolutebondagetothatdetestablepropensity，soinsidiousinitsadvances，soinexorableinitstyranny，sodisastrousinitseffects。
