The first breath of the cold night-air brought with it such a
gush of joy as he had rarely experienced; and he trod the silent
streets with something of the pleasure of an escaped criminal,
until, alas! the wind, at the first turning, let him know that he
had left his hat behind him! He felt as if he had committed a
murder, and left his card-case with the body. A vague terror grew
upon him as he hurried along. Justice seemed following on his
track. He had found the door on the latch: if anything was
missing, how should he explain the presence of his hat without
his own? The devil of the brandy he had drunk was gone out of
him, and only the gray ashes of its evil fire were left in his
sick brain, but it had helped first to kindle another fire, which
was now beginning to glow unsuspected--that of a fever whose fuel
had been slowly gathering for some time.
He opened the door with his pass-key, and hurried up the stair,
his long legs taking three steps at a time. Never before had he
felt as if he were fleeing to a refuge when going home to his
wife.
He opened the door of the sitting-room--and there on the floor
lay Letty and little Tom, as I have already told.
"Why have I heard nothing of this before?" said Mary.
"I am not aware of any right you have to know what happens in
this house."
"Not from you, of course, Miss Yolland--perhaps not from Mrs.
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