Part 44 (1/2)

Then he got up, and opened and closed the door. The pa.s.sage to the clerks' office was empty. He came back to his table, and sat down again.

”Don't give him any more chances. Take it from me--he'll never reform.

Get rid of him now.”

”Oh no--quite impossible.”

”I had a talk the other day with Yates,” said Mr. Prentice quietly.

”Yates is prepared to give evidence that he knocked you about.”

”But it's not true,” said Mrs. Marsden hotly.

The blood rose to her cheeks, and her lips trembled; but Mr. Prentice had ceased to watch her face. He was playing with an inkless pen and some white blotting-paper.

”Yates is ready to go into the box and swear it.”

”Then she would be swearing an untruth.”

”Yates would be a very good witness. Really I don't see how anybody could shake her.... I asked her a few questions.... She impressed me as being just the right sort of witness.”

”Please don't say any more.”

”Honestly, I believe we should pull it off. And why not? If ever a woman deserved--”

But Mrs. Marsden would hear no more of this kind of advice.

”I see no reason against it,” said Mr. Prentice, persisting.

”No, no,” said Mrs. Marsden sadly.

”It's the only thing to do.”

”You don't understand me.” And as she said it, there was dignity as well as sadness in her voice. ”Even if it were all easy and straightforward, I could never consent to allow the story of my married life to be told in Court--to the public. I could not bear it. I simply could not bear the shame of it.”

”Oh!... Well, it would be like having a tooth out. Soon over.”

”But that is only one reason. There are many others.”

”Are there?”

”You shouldn't--you mustn't a.s.sume that he only is to blame. There are faults on both sides. And I have this on my conscience--that perhaps he would have done very well, if I hadn't married him.”

”My dear--forgive my saying so--that is magnanimous, but nonsense.”

”No,” she said firmly, ”it is the truth. He had some good qualities. He was a worker. Idleness--with more money than he was accustomed to--brought temptations;--and he was very young. If he had remained poor, he might have developed into a better man.”

”I won't contradict you.... Only it isn't what he might have developed into, but what he has developed into; and what fresh developments we can reasonably expect.... I see no hope. Really, I must say it. I believe, as sure as I sit here, that he'll eat you up--he'll ruin you, if you let him--he'll land you in the workhouse before you've done with him. That's why I say, get rid of him--at all costs.”

But Mrs. Marsden only shook her head sadly and wearily.

Mr. Prentice stood at his window, looking down into the street, and mournfully watching her as she walked away.