Year: 1869

ruptness, Change of air-Good- night


"The manner in which he said good
night did not admit of further converse
tiOn.


"Why had Laura insisted on my ask
ing this question? Surely not to elicit
such an unsatisfactory piece Of informa-
ton as this. l fancied l heard the old
gentleman chuckle to himself as he shut
the treet-doOr on me.


"Could there be any reason worth keep
ing secret connected with Mr.. TredgOld's
coming to Stepminster Had he done
anything wrong? Did he want to avoid
anything, or anybody? 1t did not look
like it, for he had taken no pains to live a
quiet, retiring life in the town. Again, tohy
did Laura wish me TO know the reason
that had brought them here? 1t mattered
nothing to me. that l could see. loved
Laura TredgOld that was enough for me.


"Then thought about my eye. Could
I tell them, after deceiving them hitherto,
The worst of the first step in deception is,
it makes the others so easy. l did not see
that could. Besides, surely it was no
misfortune. Why should 1 go and tell
people: Look here; this is glass eye,
when they liked it better for believing it to
be real? 1t would be ruel,-heartless. Be-
sides, Laura did not love me for my eye
No; would not tell her yet, determined,
i would rather she would find it out.
Perhaps would lead her on gently to the
discovery, and so break the blow, and be
able TO say, La bless me-what didn't
you know it? That would be the pref
erable course.


"When | next saw Laura, she was very
eager to know if her father had told me
anything about the reason which brought
them to settle in Stepminster. men
toned his reply, aud it caused her q
good deal of apparent uneasiness.


"' He ought to have told you that, Pen
don't think L ought to be your wife till
you know


"Iprotested my utter indifference to the
cause that brought them here, whatever
it might be.


GO But, Pen,' she said, plucking at her
dress" o dear, you ought to know it. l
wish 1 could tell you. l am sure you will
regard me with an eye of scorn by and by
when you find nave kept something from
you The tears were coming up in her
beautiful eyes as she looked at me-


90 No, said /; nothing would ever make
me change my opinion of her, as the dear
est darling-Well, We will leave the epi.
thets. In fact, as thought of my secret,
which had not disclosed, it was rather a
relief to me that she should not tell me
why they came to Stepminster. 1t en-
couraged and excused me, as it were, for
my own reserve. But would much have
preferred, though, she should have said
'eyes of scorn, instead of an eye Every
body seemed to talk about an eye to me
in way which seemed quite personal.


Ga Are you sure, Pen, you will forgive
me, whatever you learn about me in the
future?'


Certainly | said


We'll, in course of time we were mar
ried. / still maintained my office as in
spector. No one ever had such wife as
mine,-the best TEN pered and most Iowa
ble creature, really believe, in the world.
Our congeniality of feeling was something
wonderful Even down to little matters
of the most trivial character in likes and
dislikes, there was perfect unanimity be-
tween US. 1t may seem very absurd in
stance TO give of this unanimity, it is so tri
fling. But have always had great an
tipathy to flies l very nearly exposed my
secret on one occasion before the Board,
owing to flies. 1t was autumn and
a fly had been buzzing about my
face, singing me for long time
whilst reading Report. Then | missed
him; thought he was gone. Meantime,
that fly was lntently engaged in my glass
eye 1t was wonder the Board never
noticed it; If they had, l should have
been found out At home. have devoted
great deal of my leisure, in the fly-season,
TO devising traps and poisonous sweet
meats for them, and | have fly-cages in
every room. / was almost afraid Laura
would think this suspicious; but no, she
never did. Her skin is particularly deli
cate and sensitive. Laura did not like
flies; | was glad of that.


"There was one thing, / must say,
caused me no little annoyance about
Laura. 1t was only little thing in itself,
and no doubt / ought to have been above
feeling hurt at such trife Still, ever 80
little thing when it's in your eye, for in
stance, as a speck of dust, does cause a
great deal of annoyance. With the con-
geniality of feeling between US, certainly
did feel hurt that Laura should keep her
desk constantly and consistently locked
from me. wanted some Ink one day
knew she had some in her desk, and
asked for the keys The way she hustled
about to open that desk herself, and the
excuses she made to prevent my going to
it, were masterpiece of female diplo-
macy. 1t was not that wanted to go to
her desk so much as that / didn't like be-
ing locked away from it. Itpreyed on my
mind when considered the mutual conf
dence that should subsist between man
and wife. To be sure, had not told her
about my glass eye-that was the only
secret / had from Laura-but then she
didn't know that, and she at least be.
lieved had withheld nothing whatsoever
from her, so that there was no excuse for
her withholding anything from me. An
other thing to do with the desk was this !;
Laura had received at least two let
ters since our marriage, not in
female handwriting, which she very
srlfully caiOled and persuaded me
out of wanting to see. 1 knew they
were in the desk. And there was q GER
from friend That went into the desk,
too. But why this mystery? A harmless
deception on my part was excusable,
but could not bear deception in other
people.


"By and by. from this very little seed,
there grew up SOFT of cOUstraint be-
tween US, until Laura, observing it. at last
threw me her keys, and calling me bad
Penny "a playful title of reproach), bade
me examine her desk myself, and not be
suspicious about nothing. Then l felt
ashamed of myself, and wouldn't do it.
Then Laura insisted on turning it out be-
fore my eyes, and showing me its con-
tents. l would not read the letters, but l
saw little box with brooch In it. which
much doubted being the same she had
received in the packet alluded to. 1t was
all very well her calling me q horrid