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190 BLACK SHEEP.alittle. Ithad occurred to her once, on the claywhenshe last sayy George Dallas — parting withhim at the gate of his mother's house — to thinkwhether,had she had any other resource but herhusband,had the yvhole yyorld outside of him notbeen a dead blank to her, she could have let himgo. She hacl heard of such things; she kneyvthey happened; she knew that many yvomen in" the world" took their husbands'infidelity quietly,if not kindly, and let them go, turning them tothe resources of wealth ancl pleasure. She had nosuch resources, nor could these have appeased herfor a momentif she had hacl.She cared nothingfor liberty-, she yvho had worn the chain of themost abject slavery-, that of engrossing passionatelove for an unworthy object, willingly,hadhuggedit to her bosom, hacl allowed it yvithout an effortto alleviate the pain, to eat into her flesh, and fillit yvith corruption. But, more than this, she couldnot let him go, for his own sake; sheyvas trueto the law of her life, that " honour rooted in dishonour"knew no tarnishing from her; she mustsave him, for his own sake — from himself, shemust save him, thoughnot to bring him back to