She grunted at the end of each sentence and, in the end he went
away swearing to himself, quite like a man in a novel. He looked more
objectionable than ever. I laughed. I love that woman--in spite of her
clothes. And now I'm going to bed. What do you think of it?"
"I sha'n't begin to think till the morning," said Mrs. Mallowe, yawning
"Perhaps she spoke the truth. They do fly into it by accident sometimes."
Mrs. Hauksbee's account of her eavesdropping was an ornate one but truthful in
the main. For reasons best known to herself, Mrs. "Shady" Delville had turned
upon Mr Bent and rent him limb from limb, casting him away limp and
disconcerted ere she withdrew the light of her eyes from him permanently.
Being a man of resource, and anything but pleased in that he had been called
both old and fat, he gave Mrs. Bent to understand that he had, during her
absence in the Doon, been the victim of unceasing persecution at the hands of
Mrs. Delville, and he told the tale so often and with such eloquence that he
ended in believing it, while his wife marvelled at the manners and customs of
"some women." When the situation showed signs of languishing, Mrs. Waddy was
always on hand to wake the smouldering fires of suspicion in Mrs.
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