of the wider world chapter ii meantime while the pleasures of peaceful and contented reigned in his household the himself was hurrying through the mist and rain to the village � not to the ancient stone built part of it but strange to say to the model portion where the cottages were so pretty and so devised with and little separate gardens to each that one would have thought it impossible for any man dwelling in such comfortable quarters to so far forget himself as to come home drunk at any time of day much less in the morning before twelve o clock however such had been the case with the individual called � a huge creature with enormous square shoulders and thick bull head who now leaning his powerful arms folded across the bars of his cottage gate looked up with a drowsy as he saw the approaching two or three other men were hanging about and a little knot of women with over their heads were in the road heedless of the pouring rain together their faces expressing a vague and pitiful terror walked straight up to and addressed him at once without the matter here he asked in a quiet � may i come in the man eyed him over with a stupid � � you t � he replied thickly � a s s is castle go way looked at him steadily now you know you don t mean that � he said holy orders don t you dan she � i know you didn t mean it � it was just the drink that drove you to it � only the drink for youve the best an finest husband ever woman ad when ye re sober that ll do dan � vm obliged to ye i � be getting up presently her eyes closed again and at that moment perceived the local surgeon one henry brand entering the little room � a quiet shrewd eyed man of known as dr harry who walking straight up to the bedside bent over the unfortunate mrs and examined her injuries with kindly solicitude she s rather badly hurt he said then turning to with a friendly nod � it be some days before she gets about again and she ll want some little nursing wouldn t some one � i ll attend to her said the woman who had already proffered her assistance � i ve ot nothing much to do at home my son bein away � i ll see she gets all she wants and i ll pay you for your trouble mrs said quickly � but himself himself is in a far worse state than his wife said the doctor � he s poisoned that s what s the matter with him he has got as much inside him as would kill a horse � it would kill aim if he had not accustomed his system to it i passed him just now in the porch � he s in a dead stupor he s drunk � said he s � said brand emphatically � not quite the same thing yet passing for the same come and look at him they went out of the cottage into the little garden and stood together surveying the heavy form of the miserable man who was half sitting half lying in the porch huddled together like a sack of useless lumber what s to be done with him asked in a kind of despair � he cannot go back to his work to day the tragedy of a quiet life of course he can t � and nothing s to be done with him hell sleep it off � and then � hell go to one of s places again and drink more of the vile stuff sold there � and then � well then i � he ll come home here and probably finish off his wife but it can t� it mustn t be � said i ll come myself and see that nothing happens i ll call at both public houses and ask them not to sell him any more drink dr harry smiled kick against the mr he said � i mean get yourself into trouble if you do take my don t interfere but good exclaimed � would you have me as of this parish stand off and allow a woman to be murdered by her husband when he is not really responsible for the crime brand was silent he seemed to be thinking that s a very true phrase of yours mr � he said presently � and i m glad to hear it from a clergyman s mouth not really responsible for the crime that s it is not responsible who is tell me that in this case is responsible � rejoined hotly � his is a curse to the parish if it were only good beer � said brand thoughtfully there d be no harm at all in it a pint of pure beer hurts no man but a pint of mixed poison is a matter altogether and � as you say � is responsible if dan wakes up in two or three hours and gets more drink and his wife altogether will be the real murderer � not that s the right way to put it � said it s a strong way � but it s the right way however i ll take care no more mischief is done for the present at any rate i ll look after when he wakes you ll look after him and the doctor s eyes � what will you do with him holy orders u rather thin delicate face looked a shade more and serious don t quite know � be said simply � but i am placed here in this parish as guardian of the moral and spiritual welfare of all the people under my charge � and i must 