" Yes," cried his wife, her cheeks flam ing with anger, until the rogue she Avore seemed but a pale pigment on the hot colour beneath, "there it is! He 'has made you so much Avorse ; upset you completely ; thrown you back a fortnight, as Dr. Noke3 said. He couldn't think Avhat was the matter when he came at one o'clock. No more could I. 'My lord appears to have been agitated !' said he. Agitated ! Yes ; I'd agitate that young villain with a vengeance if I could get hold of him ! " "But you agitate mo — me, Belinda. And, let me tell you, that you are not showing a proper feeling in the case as regards Castalia ; my niece Castalia ; poor unhappy girl ! " My lady stood vp — she had risen to her feet in her wrath against Algernon — big, florid, loud of voice, and vehement of Avill, and looked down upon her husb-md in his invalid's chair. And as she looked into his face she perceived, and acknow ledged to herself, that it would not do to drive him to extremities ; that, on this occasion neither indolence, habit, and bodily weakness on the one hand, nor sheer force of tongue and temper on the other, would avail to make him ouccumb to her. She changed her tone, and began to give her view of the case. She gave it the more effectively in that she spoke the truth, as far as the representation of her genuine opinion Avent. She did not be lieve a word about Castalia's having stolen money-letters — Lord Seely winced when she blurted out the accusation nakedly in so many Avords — Not one word ! As to the gossip in Whitford, that might be, or might not ; they had but Ancram's word for it. If Castalia was in this nervous, miserable state of mind ; if she did pry on her husband, and prowl about the post-office, and even open his letters (that might be ; nothing more likely !) ; if all these statements Avere true, Avhat conclusion did they point to 1 Not that Castalia was a thief— ray lord put his hand up at the word as if to ward off a stab — but that she was insanely jealous. 