The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-02-08
HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
BY ANTHONY TRoLLoPE
(Continued.]
CHAPTER XVIII.

Mr.. TREvRLYAN'S LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
Treyelyan, when he was left alone,
sat for above a couple of hours contem-
plating the misery of his position, and
endeavoring to teach himself by think
ing what ought to be his future conduct
1t never occurred to him during these
thoughts that it would be well that he
should at once take back his wife,
either as matter of duty, or of welfare
for himself or for her. He had taught
himself to believe that she had disgrac-
ed him; and, though his feeling of dis
grace made him so wretched that he
Tished that he were dead, he would al
low himself to make no attempt at ques-
t;on;ng the correctness of his convic-
t;on Thenph he were to be shipwreck-
ed forever, even that seemed to be pre-
fersble to supposing that he had been
wrong. Nevertheless he loved ms wlte
dearly, and, in the white heat OF his an
GER. endeavorsi to be merclful to her.
When Stanbury accused him OF seyerl,
tv, he would not condescend to defend
himself; but he told himself then OF his
great mercy. Was he not as fond of his
own bow as any other father, and had he
not allowed her to take the child be-
cause he had felt that mothers love
was more imperiOus, more craving IN It's
nature, than the love of fatherf Had
that been severei And had he not re-
solved to allow her every comfort which
her unfortunate positiOn-the self-im-
posed misfortune of her position
would allow her to enjoy' She had
come to him without a shilling; and
vet, as bad as her treatment of him had
been, he was willing to give enough,
net only to support her, but her sister
also, with every comfort. Severe. No;
that, at least, Was an undeserved accu-
satiOn. He had been anything but Sc
we're. Foolish he might have been, in
taking a wife from home i'll which she
had been unable to learn the discretion
of matrOn; too trusting he had been,
and too generous, certainly not Sc
we're. But, of course, as he said to him
self, young man like Stanbury would
take the part of woman with whose
sister he was in love.
Then he turned his thoughts upon
Bezzle, and then came over him crush
ing feeling of ignominy, shame, moral
dirt, and utter degradation, as he re-
considered his dealings with that ingen-
ious gentleman. He was paying
rogue TO watch the steps of man
whom he hated, to pry into the home
secrets, to read the letters, TO bride the
servants, to record the movements OF
this rival, this successful rival, In his
wife's affections. 1t was a filthy thing,
and vet what could he do 7 Gentlemen
of old, his own grandfather or his faith
er, would have taken such fellow as
Colonel Osborne by the throat, and have
caned him, and afterwards would have
shot him, or have stood to be shot. All
that was changed now,-but it was
not his fault that IL was changed. He
was willing enough to risk his life,
could any opportunity of risking it in
this cause be obtained for him. But
were he to cudgel Colonel Osborne, he
would be simply arrested, and he would
then be told that he had disgraced him
self foully by striking man old enough
to be his father!
How was he to have avoided the en-
ployment of some such man as BOzzle
He had also employed a gentleman
his friend. Stanbury; aud what was the
RESULT The facts were not altered.
Even Stanbury did not attempt to deny
and that there had been visit.
But Stanbury was so blind TO all impro-
priety, or prenteded such blindness that
he defended that which the world
agreed in condemning. OF what use
had StanbuTy been to himi He had
wanted facts, not advice. Stanbury
had fonnd out no facts for him; but
Bozzle, either by fair means or foul, did
get at the truth. He did not doubt but
that Bozzle was right about that letter
written only yesterday, and received on
that very morning. His wife, who had
probably been complaining of her
wrongs to Stanbury, must have retired
from that conversation to her chambe
and immediately have written this let
ter to her loverl With such a woman
as that what can be done in these day S
otherwise than by the aid of such Il one
as Bozzle' He could net contiRe his
wife in n dungeon. He could not save
himself from the disgrace of her miscon-
duct by any rigors of surveillance on
hisowD part. As wives are managed
nowadays, he could not forbid to her
the use of the post office,-cOuld net
hinder her from seeing this hypocrltical
scoundre! who carried on his wicked.
ness under the false guIse of family
friendship. He had given her every
chance to amend her conduct. but, if
she were resolved on disobedience, he
had no means of enforcing obedience.
The facts, however, it was necessary
that he should know.
And now, what should he do1 How
should be go to work TO make her nm.
derstand that she could not write svar
y letter without his knowing it; and
that if she did either write to the man
OIsee him he would Immediately take
the child from her, and provide for her
only in such fashion as the law should
demand from hint For himself, and
fer his own life, he thought that he had
determined what he would do. 1t was
impossible that he should continue to
live in London. He was ashamed to en-
ter club. He had hardly friend to
whom 1t was not an agony TO speak.
They who knew him knew also of his
disgrace. and M lopuar oslaI him m