Access Online - The European Library

168 BLACK SHEEP.the intensity of his wife's silent sufferings, it hacloccurred to him more than once to think, "sheyvould not be so miserable if she had done it herself;she yvouldhave been much jollier. Nothingever will cure someyvomen of sentiment."Didit eyrer occur to him that it had not beenworth his while to do what he had done ? that, onthe whole,it had not paid? No, never. Routhhad been angry with Harriet when the matter hadbeen brought up betyveen them, had complainedthatit was ahvays " cropping up;" but the truthwas, he thought of it himself much more frequentlythanit yvas impressed onhimby any allusionfrom without; anclhe neverceased to remindhimself that the deed had been necessary, indispensable.It had broughthim money whenmoneymust have been had, or all must have ended forhim; it had brought him money when moneymeant a clearing and brightening of his sky,an utter change hi his life, the cessation of ahazardous and ignoble warfare, the restoration toapeaceful anclcomparatively safe career. He wasin a difficult position now, it yvas true — a positionin which there was peril to be surmounted only