The Argosy — page 101: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

88 Court Netherleigh. ‘““A man has put his wife away from him for a much less cause than this,” continued Lord Acorn. ‘And your husband, I fancy, must have been already pretty nigh tired out. What has your conduct been to him, Adela, ever since your marriage ?” She bent her head, her face flushing. ‘To be taken to task by her father was a bitter pill, in addition to all the other discomfort. “Tt has been shameful /” emphatically pronounced Lord Acorn. ** For my part, I marvel that Grubb has borne it. But that I make ‘ta rule not to interfere with my daughters, once they have left my ‘of for that of a husband, I should not have borne it tamely fer aim ; and that I now tell you, Adela. One or two hints that I har< given you from time to time you have disregarded.” ‘“‘He has borne with her and indulged her to the top of her bent, when he ought to have taken her by the shoulders and shaken her insolence out of her,” nodded the mother. “Had you been a loving wife, Adela, things might have a better chance of going well with you,” pursued her father, with another motion of the hand. ‘‘ But, remembering what your treatment of your husband has persistently been, you can have no plea for pray- ing leniency of him now, or he much inclination to accord it.” Lady Adela would have liked to give her head a saucy toss. She knew better: her father could not judge of her husband as she could. ‘Francis can’t beat me,” she thought. ‘‘ He can lecture me, and will ; and I must bear it meekly for once, under the circumstances.” She looked up at her father. ““My husband is very fond of me, in spite of all,” she whis- pered. “Yes, he is fond of you,” returned Lord Acorn, with emotion. “Too fond. Huis behaviour to you proves that. Why, how much money have you had of him, drawn from him by your wiles, beyond your large legitimate allowance ?” Adela did not answer. ‘‘ Has he spoken of it?” she asked, the question occurring to her. ‘““No, he has not spoken of it; he is not the man to speak of it. I gather so much from your sisters: they talk of it amid themselves. One might have thought that your husband’s generous kindness to you would have won your regard, had nothing else done it. It strikes me all that will be over now,” concluded Lord Acorn. Adela answered by a sobbing sigh. “You have been on the wrong tack for some time now,” he resumed, as an afterthought. ‘‘ Who but a silly-minded woman would have made herself ridiculous, as you have, by firting with a boy like Charles Cleveland? Do ——” “Oh, papa! You cannot think for a moment I meant anything !” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing hotly. ‘““ixcept to vex your husband. Do you think your foolishness—lI could call it by a harsher name—did not give sorrow to myself and CORNICE OOO KS (EC)