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though someone were lying dead on the other side of the wall。 I finished
tea。
〃Will you have a cigarette？〃 asked Mrs。 Strickland。
She looked about for the box； but it was not to be seen。
〃I'm afraid there are none。〃
Suddenly she burst into tears； and hurried from the room。
I was startled。 I suppose now that the lack of cigarettes； brought as a
rule by her husband； forced him back upon her recollection； and the new
feeling that the small comforts she was used to were missing gave her a
sudden pang。 She realised that the old life was gone and done with。 It
was impossible to keep up our social pretences any longer。
〃I dare say you'd like me to go；〃 I said to the Colonel； getting up。
〃I suppose you've heard that blackguard has deserted her；〃 he cried
explosively。
I hesitated。
〃You know how people gossip；〃 I answered。 〃I was vaguely told that
something was wrong。〃
〃He's bolted。 He's gone off to Paris with a woman。 He's left Amy
without a penny。〃
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〃I'm awfully sorry；〃 I said； not knowing what else to say。
The Colonel gulped down his whisky。 He was a tall； lean man of
fifty； with a drooping moustache and grey hair。 He had pale blue eyes
and a weak mouth。 I remembered from my previous meeting with him
that he had a foolish face； and was proud of the fact that for the ten years
before he left the army he had played polo three days a week。
〃I don't suppose Mrs。 Strickland wants to be bothered with me just
now；〃 I said。 〃Will you tell her how sorry I am？ If there's anything I can
do。 I shall be delighted to do it。〃
He took no notice of me。
〃I don't know what's to become of her。 And then there are the
children。 Are they going to live on air？ Seventeen years。〃
〃What about seventeen years？〃
〃They've been married；〃 he snapped。 〃I never liked him。 Of course
he was my brother…in…law； and I made the best of it。 Did you think him a
gentleman？ She ought never to have married him。〃
〃Is it absolutely final？〃
〃There's only one thing for her to do； and that's to divorce him。
That's what I was telling her when you came in。 'Fire in with your petition；
my dear Amy；' I said。 ‘You owe it to yourself and you owe it to the
children。' He'd better not let me catch sight of him。 I'd thrash him within
an inch of his life。〃
I could not help thinking that Colonel MacAndrew might have some
difficulty in doing this； since Strickland had struck me as a hefty fellow；
but I did not say anything。 It is always distressing when outraged
morality does not possess the strength of arm to administer direct
chastisement on the sinner。 I was making up my mind to another attempt at
going when Mrs。 Strickland came back。 She had dried her eyes and
powdered her nose。
〃I'm sorry I broke down；〃 she said。 〃I'm glad you didn't go away。〃
She sat down。 I did not at all know what to say。 I felt a certain
shyness at referring to matters which were no concern of mine。 I did not
then know the besetting sin of woman； the passion to discuss her private
affairs with anyone who is willing to listen。 Mrs。 Strickland seemed to
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make an effort over herself。 〃Are people talking about it？〃 she asked。
I was taken aback by her assumption that I knew all about her
domestic misfortune。
〃I've only just come back。 The only person I've seen is Rose
Waterford。〃
Mrs。 Strickland clasped her hands。
〃Tell me exactly what she said。〃 And when I hesitated； she insisted。
〃I particularly want to know。〃
〃You know the way people talk。 She's not very reliable； is she？ She
said your husband had left you。〃
〃Is that all？〃
I did not choose to repeat Rose Waterford's parting reference to a girl
from a tea…shop。 I lied。
〃She didn't say anything about his going with anyone？〃
〃No。〃
〃That's all I wanted to know。〃
I was a little puzzled； but at all events I understood that I might now
take my leave。 When I shook hands with Mrs。 Strickland I told her that if
I could be of any use to her I should be very glad。 She smiled wanly。
〃Thank you so much。 I don't know that anybody can do anything for
me。〃
Too shy to express my sympathy； I turned to say good…bye to the
Colonel。 He did not take my hand。
〃I'm just coming。 If you're walking up Victoria Street； I'll come along
with you。〃
〃All right；〃 I said。 〃Come on。〃
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Chapter IX
〃This is a terrible thing；〃 he said； the moment we got out into the
street。
I realised that he had come away with me in order to discuss once
more what he had been already discussing for hours with his sister…in…law。
〃We don't know who the woman is； you know；〃 he said。 〃All we
know is that the blackguard's gone to Paris。〃
〃I thought they got on so well。〃
〃So they did。 Why； just before you came in Amy said they'd never
had a quarrel in the whole of their married life。 You know Amy。 There
never was a better woman in the world。〃
Since these confidences were thrust on me； I saw no harm in asking a
few questions。
〃But do you mean to say she suspected nothing？〃
〃Nothing。 He spent August with her and the children in Norfolk。 He
was just the same as he'd always been。 We went down for two or three
days； my wife and I； and I played golf with him。 He came back to town
in September to let his partner go away； and Amy stayed on in the country。
They'd taken a house for six weeks； and at the end of her tenancy she
wrote to tell him on which day she was arriving in London。 He answered
from Paris。 He said he'd made up his mind not to live with her any
more。〃
〃What explanation did he give？〃
〃My dear fellow； he gave no explanation。 I've seen the letter。 It
wasn't more than ten lines。〃
〃But that's extraordinary。〃
We happened then to cross the street； and the traffic prevented us from
speaking。 What Colonel MacAndrew had told me seemed very
improbable； and I suspected that Mrs。 Strickland； for reasons of her own；
had concealed from him some part of the facts。 It was clear that a man
after seventeen years of wedlock did not leave his wife without certain
occurrences which must have led her to suspect that all was not well with
their married life。 The Colonel caught me up。
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〃Of course； there was no explanation he could give except that he'd
gone off with a woman。 I suppose he thought she could find that out for
herself。 That's the sort of chap he was。〃
〃What is Mrs。 Strickland going to do？〃
〃Well； the first thing is to get our proofs。 I'm going over to Paris
myself。〃
〃And what about his business？〃
〃That's where he's been so artful。 He's been drawing in his horns for
the last year。〃
〃Did he tell his partner he was leaving？〃
〃Not a word。〃
Colonel MacAndrew had a very sketchy knowledge of business
matters； and I had none at all； so I did not quite understand under what
conditions Strickland had left his affairs。 I gathered that the deserted
partner was very angry and threatened proceedings。 It appeared that
when everything was settled he would be four or five hundred pounds out
of pocket。
〃It's lucky the furniture in