“Magistratesandlawyers；relationsandfriends；enduranceofinjuries，patience，hope，andhonestwork——Ihadtriedallthese，andtriedthemvainly。LookroundmewhereImight，theprospectwasclosedonallsides。
　　“Atthistimemyhusbandhadgotalittleworktodo。Hecamehomeoutoftemperonenight，andIgavehimawarning。’Don’ttrymetoofar，Joel，foryourownsake，’wasallIsaid。Itwasoneofhissoberdays；and，forthefirsttime，awordfrommeseemedtohaveaneffectonhim。Helookedhardatmeforaminuteorso。Andthenhewentandsatdowninacorner，andheldhispeace。
　　“ThiswasonaTuesdayintheweek。OntheSaturdayhegotpaid，andthedrinkingfittookhimagain。
　　“OnFridayinthenextweekIhappenedtocomebacklate——havinghadagoodstrokeofworktodothatday，inthewayofcookingapublicdinnerforatavern-keeperwhoknewme。Ifoundmyhusbandgone，andthebedroomstrippedofthefurniturewhichIhadputintoit。Forthesecondtimehehadrobbedmeofmyownproperty，andhadturneditintomoneytobespentindrink。
　　“Ididn’tsayaword。Istoodandlookedroundtheemptyroom。
　　WhatwasgoingoninmeIhardlyknewmyselfatthetime，andcan’tdescribenow。AllIrememberis，that，afteralittle，I
　　turnedabouttoleavethehouse。Iknewtheplaceswherethyhusbandwaslikelytobefound；andthedevilpossessedmetogoandfindhim。Thelandladycameoutintothepassageandtriedtostopme。ShewasabiggerandastrongerwomanthanIwas。ButI
　　shookherofflikeachild。Thinkingoveritnow，Ibelieveshewasinnoconditiontoputoutherstrength。Thesightofmefrightenedher。
　　“Ifoundhim。Isaid——well，Isaidwhatawomanbesideherselfwithfurywouldbelikelytosay。It’sneedlesstotellhowitended。Heknockedmedown。
　　“Afterthat，thereisaspotofdarknesslikeinmymemory。ThenextthingIcancalltomind，iscomingbacktomysensesaftersomedays。Threeofmyteethwereknockedout——butthatwasnottheworstofit。Myheadhadstruckagainstsomethinginfalling，andsomepartofmeanerve，Ithinktheysaidwasinjuredinsuchawayastoaffectmyspeech。Idon’tmeanthatIwasdownrightdumb——Ionlymeanthat，allofasudden，ithadbecomealabortometospeak。AlongwordwasasseriousanobstacleasifIwasachildagain。Theytookmetothehospital。Whenthemedicalgentlemenheardwhatitwas，themedicalgentlemencamecrowdingroundme。Iappearedtolayholdoftheirinterest，justasastory-booklaysholdoftheinterestofotherpeople。Theupshotofitwas，thatImightendinbeingdumb，orImightgetmyspeechagain——thechanceswereaboutequal。Onlytwothingswereneedful。OneofthemwasthatIshouldliveongoodnourishingdiet。Theotherwas，thatIshouldkeepmymindeasy。
　　“Aboutthedietitwasnotpossibletodecide。Mygettinggoodnourishingfoodanddrinkdependedonmygettingmoneytobuythesame。Astomymind，therewasnodifficultyabout_that。_Ifmyhusbandcamebacktome，mymindwasmadeuptokillhim。
　　“Horrid——Iamwellawarethisishorrid。Nobodyelse，inmyplace，wouldhaveendedaswickedlyasthat。Alltheotherwomenintheworld，triedasIwas，wouldhaverisensuperiortothetrial。
　　“Ihavesaidthatpeopleexceptingmyhusbandandmyrelations
　　werealmostalwaysgoodtome。
　　“Thelandlordofthehousewhichwehadtakenwhenweweremarriedheardofmysadcase。Hegavemeoneofhisemptyhousestolookafter，andalittleweeklyallowancefordoingit。Someofthefurnitureintheupperrooms，notbeingwantedbythelasttenant，waslefttobetakenatavaluationifthenexttenantneededit。Twooftheservants’bedroomsintheattics，onenexttotheother，hadallthatwaswantedinthem。SoIhadarooftocoverme，andachoiceofbedstolieon，andmoneytogetmefood。Allwellagain——butalltoolate。Ifthathousecouldspeak，whattalesthathousewouldhavetotellofme!
　　“Ihadbeentoldbythedoctorstoexercisemyspeech。Beingallalone，withnobodytospeakto，exceptwhenthelandlorddroppedin，orwhentheservantnextdoorsaid，’Niceday，ain’tit？’or，’Don’tyoufeellonely？’orsuchlike，Iboughtthenewspaper，andreaditoutloudtomyselftoexercisemyspeechinthatway。
　　OnedayIcameuponabitaboutthewivesofdrunkenhusbands。ItwasareportofsomethingsaidonthatsubjectbyaLondoncoroner，whohadheldinquestsondeadhusbandsinthelowerranksoflife，andwhohadhisreasonsforsuspectingthewives。
　　Examinationofthebodyhesaiddidn’tproveit；andwitnessesdidn’tproveit；buthethoughtit，nevertheless，quitepossible，insomecases，that，whenthewomancouldbearitnolonger，shesometimestookadamptowel，andwaitedtillthehusbanddruggedwithhisownliquorwassunkinhissleep，andthenputthetoweloverhisnoseandmouth，andendeditthatwaywithoutanybodybeingthewiser。Ilaiddownthenewspaper；andfellintothinking。Mymindwas，bythistime，inapropheticway。Isaidtomyself’Ihaven’thappenedonthisfornothing：thismeansthatIshallseemyhusbandagain。’
　　“Itwasthenjustaftermydinner-time——twoo’clock。Thatsamenight，atthemomentwhenIhadputoutmycandle，andlaidmedowninbed，Iheardaknockatthestreetdoor。BeforeIhadlitmycandleIsaystomyself，’Hereheis。’
　　“Ihuddledonafewthings，andstruckalight，andwentdownstairs。Icalledoutthroughthedoor，’Who’sthere？’Andhisvoiceanswered，’Letmein。’
　　“Isatdownonachairinthepassage，andshookalloverlikeapersonstruckwithpalsy。Notfromthefearofhim——butfrommymindbeinginthepropheticway。IknewIwasgoingtobedriventoitatlast。
　　TryasImighttokeepfromdoingit，mymindtoldmeIwastodoitnow。Isatshakingonthechairinthepassage；Iononesideofthedoor，andheontheother。
　　“Heknockedagain，andagain，andagain。Iknewitwasuselesstotry——andyetIresolvedtotry。IdeterminednottolethimintillIwasforcedtoit。Ideterminedtolethimalarmtheneighborhood，andtoseeiftheneighborhoodwouldstepbetweenus。Iwentupstairsandwaitedattheopenstaircasewindowoverthedoor。
　　“Thepolicemancameup，andtheneighborscameout。Theywereallforgivinghimintocustody。Thepolicemanlaidhandsonhim。Hehadbutonewordtosay；hehadonlytopointuptomeatthewindow，andtotellthemIwashiswife。Theneighborswentindoorsagain。Thepolicemandroppedholdofhisarm。ItwasI
　　whowasinthewrong，andnothe。Iwasboundtoletmyhusbandin。Iwentdownstairsagain，andlethimin。
　　“Nothingpassedbetweenusthatnight。Ithrewopenthedoorofthebedroomnexttomine，andwentandlockedmyselfintomyownroom。Hewasdeadbeatwithroamingthestreets，withoutapennyinhispocket，alldaylong。Thebedtolieonwasallhewantedforthatnight。
　　“ThenextmorningItriedagain——triedtoturnbackonthewaythatIwasdoomedtogo；knowingbeforehandthatitwouldbeofnouse。Iofferedhimthreepartsofmypoorweeklyearnings，tobepaidtohimregularlyatthelandlord’soffice，ifhewouldonlykeepawayfromme，andfromthehouse。Helaughedinmyface。Asmyhusband，hecouldtakeallmyearningsifhechose。
　　Andasforleavingthehouse，thehouseofferedhimfreequarterstoliveinaslongasIwasemployedtolookafterit。Thelandlordcouldn’tpartmanandwife。
　　“Isaidnomore。Laterinthedaythelandlordcame。Hesaidifwecouldmakeitouttolivetogetherpeaceablyhehadneithertherightnorthewishtointerfere。Ifwemadeanydisturbances，thenheshouldbeobligedtoprovidehimselfwithsomeotherwomantolookafterthehouse。Ihadnowhereelsetogo，andnootheremploymenttoundertake。If，inspiteofthat，Ihadputonmybonnetandwalkedout，myhusbandwouldhavewalkedoutafterme。Andalldecentpeoplewouldhavepattedhimontheback，andsaid，’Quiteright，goodman——quiteright。’
　　“Sotherehewasbyhisownact，andwiththeapprovalofothers，inthesamehousewithme。
　　“Imadenoremarktohimortothelandlord。Nothingrousedmenow。Iknewwhatwascoming；Iwaitedfortheend。Therewassomechangevisibleinmetoothers，asIsuppose，thoughnotnoticeablebymyself，whichfirstsurprisedmyhusbandandthendauntedhim。WhenthenextnightcameIheardhimlockthedoorsoftlyinhisownroom。Itdidn’tmattertome。Whenthetimewasripetenthousandlockswouldn’tlockoutwhatwastocome。
　　“Thenextday，bringingmyweeklypayment，broughtmeastepneareronthewaytotheend。Gettingthemoney，hecouldgetthedrink。Thistimehebegancunningly——inotherwords，hebeganhisdrinkingbyslowdegrees。Thelandlordbent，honestman，ontryingtokeepthepeacebetweenushadgivenhimsomeoddjobstodo，inthewayofsmallrepairs，hereandthereaboutthehouse。’Youowethis，’hesays，’tomydesiretodoagoodturntoyourpoorwife。Iamhelpingyouforhersake。Showyourselfworthytobehelped，ifyoucan。’
　　“Hesaid，asusual，thathewasgoingtoturnoveranewleaf。
　　Toolate!Thetimehadgoneby。Hewasdoomed，andIwasdoomed。
　　Itdidn’tmatterwhathesaidnow。Itdidn’tmatterwhenhelockedhisdooragainthelastthingatnight。
　　“ThenextdaywasSunday。Nothinghappened。Iwenttochapel。
　　Merehabit。Itdidmenogood。Hegotonalittlewiththedrinking——butstillcunningly，byslowdegrees。Iknewbyexperiencethatthismeantalongfit，andabadone，tocome。