He rarely walked abroad and was
invariably late for meals, save when he missed any particular one
altogether, which happened frequently. Absent-minded in
conversation, untidy in dress, unpractical in business, dreamy in
manner, Professor Braddock lived solely for archaeology. That
such a man should have taken to himself a wife was mystery.
Yet he had been married fifteen years before to a widow, who
possessed a limited income and one small child. It was the
opportunity of securing the use of a steady income which had
decoyed Braddock into the matrimonial snare of Mrs. Kendal. To
put it plainly, he had married the agreeable widow for her money,
although he could scarcely be called a fortune-hunter. Like
Eugene Aram, he desired cash to assist learning, and as that
scholar had committed murder to secure what he wanted, so did the
Professor marry to obtain his ends. These were to have someone
to manage the house, and to be set free from the necessity of
earning his bread, so that he might indulge in pursuits more
pleasurable than money-making. Mrs. Kendal was a placid,
phlegmatic lady, who liked rather than loved the Professor, and
who desired him more as a companion than as a husband.
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