“HewasonceortwicecrosswithmewhenIsaiditseemedapitytobespendingthemoneyinthebankwhichmightbeafterwardwantedinsteadofearningmoreinbusiness。GoodMr。Bapchild，happeningaboutthistimetobeinLondon，staidoverSunday，andcametodinewithusbetweentheservices。Hehadtriedtomakemypeacewithmyrelations——buthehadnotsucceeded。Atmyrequesthespoketomyhusbandaboutthenecessityofexertinghimself。Myhusbandtookitill。Ithensawhimseriouslyoutoftemperforthefirsttime。GoodMr。Bapchildsaidnomore。Heappearedtobealarmedatwhathadhappened，andhetookhisleaveearly。
　　“Shortlyafterwardmyhusbandwentout。Igotteareadyforhim——buthenevercameback。Igotsupperreadyforhim——buthenevercameback。ItwaspasttwelveatnightbeforeIsawhimagain。Iwasverymuchstartledbythestatehecamehomein。Hedidn’tspeaklikehimself，orlooklikehimself：hedidn’tseemtoknowme——wanderedinhismind，andfellallinalumplikeonourbed。Iranoutandfetchedthedoctortohim。
　　“Thedoctorpulledhimuptothelight，andlookedathim；
　　smelledhisbreath，anddroppedhimdownagainonthebed；turnedabout，andstaredatme。’What’sthematter，Sir？’Isays。’Doyoumeantotellmeyoudon’tknow？’saysthedoctor。’No，Sir，’
　　saysI。’Whywhatsortofawomanareyou，’sayshe，’nottoknowadrunkenmanwhenyouseehim!’Withthathewentaway，andleftmestandingbythebedside，allinatremblefromheadtofoot。
　　“ThiswashowIfirstfoundoutthatIwasthewifeofadrunkenman。
　　“Ihaveomittedtosayanythingaboutmyhusband’sfamily。
　　“Whilewewerekeepingcompanytogetherhetoldmehewasanorphan——withanuncleandauntinCanada，andanonlybrothersettledinScotland。Beforeweweremarriedhegavemealetterfromthisbrother。ItwastosaythathewassorryhewasnotabletocometoEngland，andbepresentatmymarriage，andtowishmejoyandtherestofit。GoodMr。Bapchildtowhom，inmydistress，Iwrotewordprivatelyofwhathadhappenedwrotebackinreturn，tellingmetowaitalittle，andseewhethermyhusbanddiditagain。
　　“Ihadnotlongtowait。Hewasinliquoragainthenextday，andthenext。Hearingthis，Mr。Bapchildinstructedmetosendhimtheletterfrommyhusband’sbrother。HeremindedmeofsomeofthestoriesaboutmyhusbandwhichIhadrefusedtobelieveinthetimebeforeIwasmarried；andhesaiditmightbewelltomakeinquiries。
　　“Theendoftheinquirieswasthis。Thebrother，atthatverytime，wasplacedprivatelybyhisownrequestunderadoctor’scaretogetbrokenofhabitsofdrinking。Thecravingforstrongliquorthedoctorwrotewasinthefamily。Theywouldbesobersometimesformonthstogether，drinkingnothingstrongerthantea。Thenthefitwouldseizethem；andtheywoulddrink，drink，drink，fordaystogether，likethemadandmiserablewretchesthattheywere。
　　“ThiswasthehusbandIwasmarriedto。AndIhadoffendedallmyrelations，andestrangedthemfromme，forhissake。Herewassurelyasadprospectforawomanafteronlyafewmonthsofweddedlife!
　　“Inayear’stimethemoneyinthebankwasgone；andmyhusbandwasoutofemployment。Healwaysgotwork——beingafirst-ratehandwhenhewassober——andalwayslostitagainwhenthedrinking-fitseizedhim。Iwaslothtoleaveournicelittlehouse，andpartwithmyprettyfurniture；andIproposedtohimtoletmetryforemployment，bytheday，ascook，andsokeepthingsgoingwhilehewaslookingoutagainforwork。Hewassoberandpenitentatthetime；andheagreedtowhatIproposed。
　　And，morethanthat，hetooktheTotalAbstinencePledge，andpromisedtoturnoveranewleaf。Matters，asIthought，begantolookfairlyagain。Wehadnobodybutourtwoselvestothinkof。
　　Ihadbornenochild，andhadnoprospectofbearingone。Unlikemostwomen，Ithoughtthisamercyinsteadofamisfortune。InmysituationasIsoongrewtoknowmybecomingamotherwouldonlyhaveprovedtobeanaggravationofmyhardlot。
　　“ThesortofemploymentIwantedwasnottobegotinaday。GoodMr。Bapchildgavemeacharacter；andourlandlord，aworthymanbelonging，Iamsorrytosay，tothePopishChurch，spokeformetothestewardofaclub。Still，ittooktimetopersuadepeoplethatIwasthethoroughgoodcookIclaimedtobe。NighonafortnighthadpassedbeforeIgotthechanceIhadbeenlookingoutfor。Iwenthomeingoodspiritsformetoreportwhathadhappened，andfoundthebrokersinthehousecarryingoffthefurniturewhichIhadboughtwithmyownmoneyforsalebyauction。Iaskedthemhowtheydaredtouchitwithoutmyleave。
　　Theyanswered，civillyenoughImustown，thattheywereactingundermyhusband’sorders；andtheywentonremovingitbeforemyowneyes，tothecartoutside。Iranupstairs，andfoundmyhusbandonthelanding。Hewasinliquoragain。Itisuselesstosaywhatpassedbetweenus。Ishallonlymentionthatthiswasthefirstoccasiononwhichheliftedhisfist，andstruckme。
　　“Havingaspiritofmyown，Iwasresolvednottoendureit。I
　　ranouttothePoliceCourt，hardby。
　　“Mymoneyhadnotonlyboughtthefurniture——ithadkeptthehousegoingaswell；payingthetaxeswhichtheQueenandtheParliamentaskedforamongotherthings。InowwenttothemagistratetoseewhattheQueenandtheParliament，inreturnforthetaxes，woulddofor_me。_
　　“’Isyourfurnituresettledonyourself？’hesays，whenItoldhimwhathadhappened。
　　“Ididn’tunderstandwhathemeant。Heturnedtosomepersonwhowassittingonthebenchwithhim。’Thisisahardcase，’hesays。’Poorpeopleinthisconditionoflifedon’tevenknowwhatamarriagesettlementmeans。And，iftheydid，howmanyofthemcouldaffordtopaythelawyer’scharges？’Uponthatheturnedtome。’Yoursisacommoncase，’hesaid。’InthepresentstateofthelawIcandonothingforyou。’
　　“Itwasimpossibletobelievethat。Commonornot，Iputmycasetohimoveragain。
　　“’Ihaveboughtthefurniturewithmyownmoney，Sir，’Isays。
　　’It’smine，honestlycomeby，withbillandreceipttoproveit。
　　Theyaretakingitawayfrommebyforce，tosellitagainstmywill。Don’ttellmethat’sthelaw。ThisisaChristiancountry。
　　Itcan’tbe。’
　　“’Mygoodcreature，’sayshe，’youareamarriedwoman。Thelawdoesn’tallowamarriedwomantocallanythingherown——unlessshehaspreviouslywithalawyer’shelpmadeabargaintothateffectwithherhusbandbeforemarryinghim。Youhavemadenobargain。Yourhusbandhasarighttosellyourfurnitureifhelikes。Iamsorryforyou；Ican’thinderhim。’
　　“Iwasobstinateaboutit。’Pleasetoanswermethis，Sir，’I
　　says。’I’vebeentoldbywiserheadsthanminethatweallpayourtaxestokeeptheQueenandtheParliamentgoing；andthattheQueenandtheParliamentmakelawstoprotectusinreturn。I
　　havepaidmytaxes。Why，ifyouplease，istherenolawtoprotectmeinreturn？’
　　“’Ican’tenterintothat，’sayshe。’ImusttakethelawasI
　　findit；andsomustyou。Iseeamarkthereonthesideofyourface。Hasyourhusbandbeenbeatingyou？Ifhehas，summonhimhereIcanpunishhimfor_that。_’
　　“’Howcanyoupunishhim，Sir？’saysI。
　　“’Icanfinehim，’sayshe。’OrIcansendhimtoprison。’
　　“’Astothefine，’saysI，’hecanpaythatoutofthemoneyhegetsbysellingmyfurniture。Astotheprison，whilehe’sinit，what’stobecomeofme，withmymoneyspentbyhim，andmypossessionsgone；andwhenhe’s_out_ofit，what’stobecomeofmeagain，withahusbandwhomIhavebeenthemeansofpunishing，andwhocomeshometohiswifeknowingit？It’sbadenoughasitis，Sir，’saysI。’There’smorethat’sbruisedinmethanwhatshowsinmyface。Iwishyougood-morning。’
　　“WhenIgotbackthefurniturewasgone，andmyhusbandwasgone。
　　Therewasnobodybutthelandlordintheemptyhouse。Hesaidallthatcouldbesaid——kindlyenoughtowardme，sofarasIwasconcerned。WhenhewasgoneIlockedmytrunk，andgotawayinacabafterdark，andfoundalodgingtolaymyheadin。Ifevertherewasalonely，broken-heartedcreatureintheworld，Iwasthatcreaturethatnight。
　　“Therewasbutonechanceofearningmybread——togototheemploymentofferedmeunderamancook，ataclub。Andtherewasbutonehope——thehopethatIhadlostsightofmyhusbandforever。
　　“Iwenttomywork——andprosperedinit——andearnedmyfirstquarter’swages。Butit’snotgoodforawomantobesituatedasIwas；friendlessandalone，withherthingsthatshetookaprideinsoldawayfromher，andwithnothingtolookforwardtoinherlifetocome。Iwasregularinmyattendanceatchapel；
　　butIthinkmyheartbegantogethardened，andmymindtobeovercastinsecretwithitsownthoughtsaboutthistime。Therewasachangecoming。TwoorthreedaysafterIhadearnedthewagesjustmentionedmyhusbandfoundmeout。Thefurniture-moneywasallspent。Hemadeadisturbanceattheclub，IwasonlyabletoquiethimbygivinghimallthemoneyIcouldsparefrommyownnecessities。Thescandalwasbroughtbeforethecommittee。
　　Theysaid，ifthecircumstanceoccurredagain，theyshouldbeobligedtopartwithme。Inafortnightthecircumstanceoccurredagain。It’suselesstodwellonit。Theyallsaidtheyweresorryforme。Ilosttheplace。Myhusbandwentbackwithmetomylodgings。ThenextmorningIcaughthimtakingmypurse，withthefewshillingsIhadinit，outofmytrunk，whichhehadbrokenopen。Wequarreled。Andhestruckmeagain——thistimeknockingmedown。