“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。