`Well，sir，thereusedtobeinthosedays——betterthanthree-and-twentyyearsago。Theybuiltanewtownabouttwomilesoff，convenienttotheriver——andOldWelmingham，whichwasnevermuchmorethanavillage，gotintimetobedeserted。ThenewtownistheplacetheycallWelminghamnow——buttheoldparishchurchistheparishchurchstill。Itstandsbyitself，withthehousespulleddownorgonetoruinallroundit。I’velivedtoseesadchanges。Itwasapleasant，prettyplaceinmytime。’
`Didyoulivetherebeforeyourmarriage，MrsClements？’
`No，sir——I’maNorfolkwoman。Itwasn’ttheplacemyhusbandbelongedtoeither。HewasfromGrimsby，asItoldyou，andheservedhisapprenticeshipthere。Buthavingfriendsdownsouth，andhearingofanopening，hegotintobusinessatSouthampton。Itwasinasmallway，buthemadeenoughforaplainmantoretireon，andsettledatOldWelmingham。Iwenttherewithhimwhenhemarriedme。Wewereneitherofusyoung，butwelivedveryhappytogether——happierthanourneighbour，MrCatherick，livedalongwithhiswifewhentheycametoOldWelminghamayearortwoafterwards。’
`Wasyourhusbandacquaintedwiththembeforethat？’
`WithCatherick，sir——notwithhiswife。Shewasastrangertobothofus。SomegentlemenhadmadeinterestforCatherick，andhegotthesituationofclerkatWelminghamchurch，whichwasthereasonofhiscomingtosettleinourneighbourhood。Hebroughthisnewly-marriedwifealongwithhim，andweheardincourseoftimeshehadbeenlady’s-maidinafamilythatlivedatVarneckHall，nearSouthampton。Catherickhadfounditahardmattertogethertomarryhim，inconsequenceofherholdingherselfuncommonlyhigh。Hehadaskedandasked，andgiventhethingupatlast，seeingshewassocontraryaboutit。Whenhehadgivenitupsheturnedcontraryjusttheotherway，andcametohimofherownaccord，withoutrhymeorreasonseemingly。Mypoorhusbandalwayssaidthatwasthetimetohavegivenheralesson。ButCatherickwastoofondofhertodoanythingofthesort——henevercheckedhereitherbeforetheyweremarriedorafter。Hewasaquickmaninhisfeelings，lettingthemcarryhimadealtoofar，nowinonewayandnowinanother，andhewouldhavespoiltabetterwifethanMrsCatherickifabetterhadmarriedhim。Idon’tliketospeakillofanyone，sir，butshewasaheartlesswoman，withaterriblewillofherown——fondoffoolishadmirationandfineclothes，andnotcaringtoshowsomuchasdecentoutwardrespecttoCatherick，kindlyashealwaystreatedher。Myhusbandsaidhethoughtthingswouldturnoutbadlywhentheyfirstcametolivenearus，andhiswordsprovedtrue。Beforetheyhadbeenquitefourmonthsinourneighbourhoodtherewasadreadfulscandalandamiserablebreak-upintheirhousehold。Bothofthemwereinfault——Iamafraidbothofthemwereequallyinfault。’