`Ohyes！It’sonlymywayoftalking。Theeventmustcome，sometime，andsoIlooktothebrightsideofit——that’stherightplan，isn’tit，Mrs。H。？——Whatareyoutwodoinghere，bytheby——where’sLadyLowborough？’
`Inthebilliardroom。
`Whatasplendidcreaturesheis！’continuedhe，fixinghiseyesonhiswife，whochangedcolour，andlookedmoreandmoredisconcertedasheproceeded。`Whatanoblefigureshehas！andwhatmagnificentblackeyes；andwhatafinespiritofherown；——andwhatatongueofherown，too，whenshelikestouseit——Iperfectlyadoreher！——Butnevermind，Milicent；Iwouldn’thaveherformywife——notifshe’dakingdomforherdowry！I’mbettersatisfiedwiththeoneIhave——Now，then！whatdoyoulooksosulkyfor？don’tyoubelieveme？’
`Yes，Ibelieveyou，’murmuredshe，inatoneofhalfsad，halfsullenresignation，assheturnedawaytostrokethehairofhersleepinginfant，thatshehadlaidonthesofabesideher。
`Wellthen，whatmakesyousocross？ComehereMilly，andtellmewhyyoucan’tbesatisfiedwithmyassurance。’
Shewent，and，puttingherlittlehandwithinhisarm，lookedupinhisface，andsaidsoftly，——
`WhatdoesitamounttoRalph？Onlytothis，thatthoughyouadmireAnnabellasomuch，andforqualitiesthatIdon’tpossess，youwouldstillratherhavemethanherforyourwife，whichmerelyprovesthatyoudon’tthinkitnecessarytoloveyourwife：youaresatisfiedifshecankeepyourhouseandtakecareofyourchild。ButI’mnotcross；I’monlysorry；
for，’addedsheinalow，tremulousaccent，withdrawingherhandfromhisarm，andbendingherlooksontherug，`ifyoudon’tloveme，youdon’t，anditcan’tbehelped。’
`Verytrue：butwhotoldyouIdidn’t？DidIsayIlovedAnnabella？’
`Yousaidyouadoredher。’
`True，butadorationisn’tlove。IadoreAnnabella，butIdon’tloveher；andIlovetheeMilicent，butIdon’tadorethee。’Inproofofhisaffection，heclutchedahandfulofherlightbrownringletsandappearedtotwistthemunmercifully。
`Doyoureally，Ralph？’murmuredshewithafaintsmilebeamingthroughhertears，justputtingupherhandtohis，intokenthathepulledrathertoohard。
`TobesureIdo，’respondedhe：`onlyyoubothermerather，sometimes。’
`Ibotheryou！’criedsheinverynaturalsurprise。
`Yes，you——butonlybyyourexceedinggoodness——whenaboyhasbeencrammingraisinsandsugar-plumsallday，helongsforasqueezeofsourorangebywayofachange。Anddidyounever，Milly，observethesandsonthesea-shore；howniceandsmooththeylook，andhowsoftandeasytheyfeeltothefoot？Butifyouplodalong，forhalfanhour，overthissoft，easycarpet——givingwayateverystep，yieldingthemoretheharderyoupress，——you’llfinditratherwearisomework，andbegladenoughtocometoabitofgood，firmrock，thatwon’tbudgeaninchwhetheryoustand，walk，orstampuponit；and，thoughitbehardasthenethermillstone，you’llfindittheeasierfootingafterall。’
`Iknowwhatyoumean，Ralph，’saidshe，nervouslyplayingwithherwatch-guardandtracingthefigureontherugwiththepointofhertinyfoot，`Iknowwhatyoumean，butIthoughtyoualwayslikedtobeyieldedto；andIcan’talternow。
`Idolikeit，’repliedhe，bringinghertohimbyanothertugatherhair。`Youmustn’tmindmytalkMilly。Amanmusthavesomethingtogrumbleabout；andifhecan’tcomplainthathiswifeharrieshimtodeathwithherperversityandill-humour，hemustcomplainthatshewearshimoutwithherkindnessandgentleness。’
`Butwhycomplainatall，unless，becauseyouaretiredanddissatisfied？’
`Toexcusemyownfailings，tobesure。DoyouthinkI’llbearalltheburdenofmysinsonmyownshoulders，aslongasthere’sanotherreadytohelpme，withnoneofherowntocarry？’
`Thereisnosuchoneonearth，’saidsheseriously；andthen，takinghishandfromherhead，shekisseditwithanairofgenuinedevotion，andtrippedawaytothedoor。
`Whatnow？’saidhe。`Whereareyougoing？’
`Totidymyhair，’sheanswered，smilingthroughherdisorderedlocks：`you’vemadeitallcomedown。’
`Offwithyouthen！——Anexcellentlittlewoman，’heremarkedwhenshewasgone，`butathoughttoosoft——shealmostmeltsinone’shands。
IpositivelythinkIill-usehersometimes，whenI’vetakentoomuch——butIcan’thelpit，forshenevercomplains，eitheratthetimeorafter。
Isupposeshedoesn’tmindit。’
`Icanenlightenyouonthatsubject，Mr。Hattersley，’saidI：
`shedoesmindit；andsomeotherthingsshemindsstillmore，which，yet，youmayneverhearhercomplainof。’
`Howdoyouknow？——doesshecomplaintoyou？’demandedhe，withasuddensparkoffuryreadytoburstintoaflameifIshouldanswer`Yes。’
`No，’Ireplied；`butIhaveknownherlongerandstudiedhermorecloselythanyouhavedone——AndIcantellyou，Mr。Hattersley，thatMilicentlovesyoumorethanyoudeserve，andthatyouhaveitinyourpowertomakeherveryhappy，insteadofwhichyouareherevilgenius，and，Iwillventuretosay，thereisnotasingledaypassesinwhichyoudonotinflictuponhersomepangthatyoumightspareherifyouwould。’
`Well——it’snotmyfault，’saidhe，gazingcarelesslyupattheceilingandplunginghishandsintohispockets：`ifmyongoingsdon’tsuither，sheshouldtellmeso。’
`Isshenotexactlythewifeyouwanted？DidyounottellMr。
Huntingdonyoumusthaveonethatwouldsubmittoanythingwithoutamurmur，andneverblameyou，whateveryoudid？’
`True，butweshouldn’talwayshavewhatwewant：itspoilsthebestofus，doesn’tit？HowcanIhelpplayingthedeucewhenIseeit’sallonetoherwhetherIbehavelikeaChristianorlikeascoundrelsuchasnaturemademe？——andhowcanIhelpteazingherwhenshe’ssoinvitinglymeekandmim——whensheliesdownlikeaspanielatmyfeetandneversomuchassqueakstotellmethat’senough？’
`Ifyouareatyrantbynature，thetemptationisstrong，Iallow；
butnogenerousminddelightstooppresstheweak，butrathertocherishandprotect。’
`Idon’toppressher；butit’ssoconfoundedflattobealwayscherishingandprotecting；——andthenhowcanItellthatIamoppressingherwhenshe“meltsawayandmakesnosign？”’Isometimesthinkshehasnofeelingatall；andthenIgoontillshecries——andthatsatisfiesme。
`Thenyoudodelighttooppressher。’
`Idon’t，Itellyou！——onlywhenI’minabadhumour——oraparticularlygoodone，andwanttoafflictforthepleasureofcomforting；orwhenshelooksflatandwantsshakingupabit。Andsometimes，sheprovokesmebycryingfornothing，andwon’ttellmewhatit’sfor；andthen，Iallow，itenragesmepastbearing——especially，whenI’mnotmyownman。’
`Asisnodoubtgenerallythecaseonsuchoccasions，’saidI。
`Butinfuture，Mr。Hattersley，whenyouseeherlookingflatorcryingfor“nothing“(asyoucallit)，ascribeitalltoyourself：beassureditissomethingyouhavedoneamiss，oryourgeneralmisconductthatdistressesher。’
`Idon’tbelieveit。Ifitwere，sheshouldtellmeso：Idon’tlikethatwayofmopingandfrettinginsilence，andsayingnothing——it’snothonest。Howcansheexpectmetomendmywaysatthatrate？’
`Perhapsshegivesyoucreditforhavingmoresensethanyoupossess，anddeludesherselfwiththehopethatyouwillonedayseeyourownerrorsandrepairthem，iflefttoyourownreflection。’
`Noneofyoursneers，Mrs。Huntingdon！IhavethesensetoseethatI’mnotalwaysquitecorrect——butsometimesIthinkthat’snogreatmatter，aslongasIinjurenobodybutmyself——’
`Itisagreatmatter，’interruptedI，`bothtoyourself(asyouwillhereafterfindtoyourcost)andtoallconnectedwithyou——mostespeciallyyourwife——butindeed，itisnonsensetotalkaboutinjuringnoonebutyourself，itisimpossibletoinjureyourself——especiallybysuchactsaswealludeto——withoutinjuringhundreds，ifnotthousands，besides，inagreaterorlessdegree，eitherbytheevilyoudoorthegoodyouleaveundone。’
`AndasIwassaying，’continuedhe——`orwouldhavesaidifyouhadn’ttakenmeupsoshort——IsometimesthinkIshoulddobetterifI
werejoinedtoonethatwouldalwaysremindmewhenIwaswrong，andgivemeamotivefordoinggoodandeschewingevilbydecidedlyshowingherapprovaloftheone，anddisapprovaloftheother。’
`Ifyouhadnohighermotivethantheapprovalofyourfellowmortal，itwoulddoyoulittlegood。’
`Well，butifIhadamatethatwouldnotalwaysbeyielding，andalwaysequallykind，butthatwouldhavethespirittostandatbaynowandthen，andhonestlytellmehermindatalltimes——suchaoneasyourselfforinstance——nowifIwentonwithyouasIdowithherwhenI’minLondon，you’dmakethehousetoohottoholdmeattimes，I’llbesworn。
`Youmistakeme：I’mnotermagant。’
`Well，allthebetterforthat，forIcan’tstandcontradiction——inageneralway——andI’masfondofmyownwillasanother：onlyIthinktoomuchofitdoesn’tanswerforanyman。
`Well，Iwouldnevercontradictyouwithoutacause，butcertainlyIwouldalwaysletyouknowwhatIthoughtofyourconduct；andifyouoppressedme，inbody，mind，orestate，youshouldatleasthavenoreasontosuppose“Ididn’tmindit。
`Iknowthatmylady；andIthinkifmylittlewifeweretofollowthesameplanitwouldbebetterforusboth。’
`I’lltellher。’
`No，no，letherbe；there’smuchtobesaidonbothsides——and，nowIthinkuponit，Huntingdonoftenregretsthatyouarenotmorelikeher——scoundrellydogthatheis——andyousee，afterall，youcan’treformhim：he’stentimesworsethanI——He’safraidofyou，tobesure——thatis，he’salwaysonhisbestbehaviourinyourpresence——but——’
`Iwonderwhathisworstbehaviourislike，then？’Icouldnotforbearobserving。
`Why，totellyouthetruth，it’sverybadindeedisn’tit，Hargrave？’
saidhe，addressingthatgentleman，whohadenteredtheroomunperceivedbyme，forIwasnowstandingnearthefirewithmybacktothedoor。`Isn’tHuntingdon，’hecontinued，`asgreatareprobateaseverwasd——d？’
`Hisladywillnothearhimcensuredwithimpunity，’repliedMr。
Hargrave，comingforward，`butImustsay，IthankGodIamnotsuchanother。’
`Perhapsitwouldbecomeyoubetter，’saidI，`tolookatwhatyouare，andsay，“Godbemercifultomeasinner。”’
`Youaresevere，’returnedhe，bowingslightlyanddrawinghimselfupwithaproudyetinjuredair。Hattersleylaughed，andclappedhimontheshoulder。Movingfromunderhishandwithagestureofinsulteddignity，Mr。Hargravetookhimselfawaytotheotherendoftherug。
`Isn’titashame，Mrs。Huntingdon？’criedhisbrother-in-law——
`IstruckWalterHargravewhenIwasdrunk，thesecondnightafterwecame，andhe’sturnedacoldshoulderonmeeversince；thoughIaskedhispardontheverymorningafteritwasdone！’
`Yourmannerofaskingit，’returnedtheother，`andtheclearnesswithwhichyourememberedthewholetransaction，showedyouwerenottoodrunktobefullyconsciousofwhatyouwereabout，andquiteresponsibleforthedeed。’
`Youwantedtointerferebetweenmeandmywife，’grumbledHattersley，`andthatisenoughtoprovokeanyman。
`Youjustifyitthen？’saidhisopponent，dartinguponhimamostvindictiveglance。
`No，ItellyouIwouldn’thavedoneitifIhadn’tbeenunderexcitement；andifyouchoosetobearmaliceforit，afterallthehandsomethingsI’vesaid——dosoandbedamned！’
`Iwouldrefrainfromsuchlanguageinalady’spresence，atleast，’saidMr。Hargrave，hidinghisangerunderamaskofdisgust。
`WhathaveIsaid？’returnedHattersley。`NothingbutHeaven’struth——hewillbedamned，won’the，Mrs。Huntingdon，ifhedoesn’tforgivehisbrother’strespasses？’
