Out of her sphere - University Library

210 OUT OF IIER SPHERE.
by her end, would not they guess the
reason that had led him to take judgment
into his own hands ; and yet, how should
he go on like this ? a living lie ! A
man
supposed to be mourning, with a tender
natural grief, for the wife hurried from
him, and yet all the time rejoicing that
now at least there was an end of shame,
that the poor frail thing had put off her
sin with her life, and gone where tempta-
tion would never more assail her.
Would they let him be in peace ? would
they quietly bury her, and say no more of
her ? or would they torment him, and
pester him with questions and regrets,
till, at last, the miserable truth must be
avowed, and his wife's weakness be bla-
zoned before every eye that liked to
read it ?
Not that at any rate. If he had to own
that he had done this thing, they might
guess, but they should never know all the