Chapter X

thyou!” “Thencomebyallmeansifyoulike.” “Youdon’tcareifIcomeornotit’snothingtoyou.” “Well,Ithinkitwouldbeverysillyofyoutocomeintherain.Youbet,Ishouldn’tgoifIcouldhelpit.” “Thengo,”shesaid.Shekeptbackwithdifficultythebitterwordswhichwereonthetipofhertongue. “You’remuchbetterathome,”saidherhusband,cheerfully.“Ishallbeintoteaatfive.Ta-ta!” Hemighthavesaidathousandthings.Hemighthavesaidthatnothingwouldpleasehimmorethanthatsheshouldaccompanyhim,thattheappointmentcouldgotothedevilandhewouldstaywithher.Buthewentoff,cheerfullywhistling.Hedidn’tcare.Bertha’scheeksgrewredwiththehumiliationofhisrefusal. “Hedoesn’tloveme,”shesaid,andsuddenlyburstintotears—thefirsttearsofhermarriedlife,thefirstshehadweptsinceherfather’sdeathandtheymadeherashamed.Shetriedtocontrolthem,butcouldnotandweptungovernably.Edward’swordsseemedterriblycruelshewonderedhowhecouldhavesaidthem. “Imighthaveexpectedit,”shesaid“hedoesn’tloveme.” Shegrewangrywithhim,rememberingthelittlecoldnesseswhichhadoftenpainedher.Oftenhealmostpushedherawaywhenshecametocaresshim—becausehehadatthemomentsomethingelsetooccupyhimoftenhehadleftunansweredherprotestationsofundyingaffection.Didhenotknowthathecuthertothequick?Whenshesaidshelovedhimwithallherheart,hewonderediftheclockwaswoundup!Berthabroodedfortwohoursoverherunhappiness,and,ignorantofthetime,wassurprisedtohearthetrapagainatthedoorherfirstimpulsewastorunandletEdwardin,butsherestrainedherself.Shewasveryangry.Heentered,andshoutingtoherthathewaswetandmustchange,poundedupstairs.Ofcoursehehadnotnoticedthatforthefirsttimesincetheirmarriagehiswifehadnotmethiminthehallwhenhecamein—henevernoticedanything. Edwardenteredtheroom,hisfaceglowingwiththefreshair. “ByJove,I’mgladyoudidn’tcome.Therainsimplypoureddown.Howabouttea?I’mstarving.” HethoughtofhisteawhenBerthawantedapologies,humbleexcuses,apleaforpardon.Hewasascheerfulasusualandquiteunconsciousthathiswifehadbeencryingherselfintoatoweringpassion. “Didyoubuyyoursheep?”shesaid,inanindignanttone.ShewasanxiousforEdwardtonoticeherdiscomposure,soth