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Ididallamancoulddotoreclaimher。Quiteuseless！ShehadneverreallyreturnedtheloveIfeltforher:Ihadnoinfluence；
Icoulddonothing。Mymother，hearingofthislastworsetrouble，resolvedtotrywhatherinfluencecoulddo。Illasshewas，I
foundheronedaydressedtogoout。
“Iamnotlongforthisworld，Francis，“shesaid。“Ishallnotfeeleasyonmydeathbed，unlessIhavedonemybesttothelasttomakeyouhappy。Imeantoputmyownfearsandmyownfeelingsoutofthequestion，andgowithyoutoyourwife，andtrywhatIcandotoreclaimher。Takemehomewithyou，Francis。LetmedoallIcantohelpmyson，beforeitistoolate。“
HowcouldIdisobeyher？Wetooktherailwaytothetown:itwasonlyhalfanhour’sride。Byoneo’clockintheafternoonwereachedmyhouse。Itwasourdinnerhour，andAliciawasinthekitchen。Iwasabletotakemymotherquietlyintotheparlorandthentopreparemywifeforthevisit。Shehaddrunkbutlittleatthatearlyhour；and，luckily，thedevilinherwastamedforthetime。
Shefollowedmeintotheparlor，andthemeetingpassedoffbetterthanIhadventuredtoforecast；withthisonedrawback，thatmymother——thoughshetriedhardtocontrolherself——shrankfromlookingmywifeinthefacewhenshespoketoher。ItwasarelieftomewhenAliciabegantopreparethetablefordinner。
Shelaidthecloth，broughtinthebreadtray，andcutsomeslicesforusfromtheloaf。Thenshereturnedtothekitchen。Atthatmoment，whileIwasstillanxiouslywatchingmymother，IwasstartledbyseeingthesameghastlychangepassoverherfacewhichhadaltereditinthemorningwhenAliciaandshefirstmet。
BeforeIcouldsayaword，shestartedupwithalookofhorror。
“Takemeback！——home，homeagain，Francis！Comewithme，andnevergobackmore！“
Iwasafraidtoaskforanexplanation；Icouldonlysignhertobesilent，andhelpherquicklytothedoor。Aswepassedthebreadtrayonthetable，shestoppedandpointedtoit。
“Didyouseewhatyourwifecutyourbreadwith？“sheasked。
“No，mother；Iwasnotnoticing。Whatwasit？“
“Look！“
Ididlook。Anewclaspknife，withabuckhornhandle，laywiththeloafinthebreadtray。Istretchedoutmyhandtopossessmyselfofit。Atthesamemoment，therewasanoiseinthekitchen，andmymothercaughtmebythearm。
“TheknifeoftheDream！Francis，I’mfaintwithfear——takemeawaybeforeshecomesback！“
Icouldn’tspeaktocomfortoreventoanswerher。SuperiorasI
wastosuperstition，thediscoveryoftheknifestaggeredme。Insilence，Ihelpedmymotheroutofthehouse；andtookherhome。
Iheldoutmyhandtosaygood-by。Shetriedtostopme。
“Don’tgoback，Francis！don’tgoback！“
“Imustgettheknife，mother。Imustgobackbythenexttrain。“
Iheldtothatresolution。BythenexttrainIwentback。
Mywifehad，ofcourse，discoveredoursecretdeparturefromthehouse。Shehadbeendrinking。Shewasinafuryofpassion。Thedinnerinthekitchenwasflungunderthegrate；theclothwasofftheparlortable。Wherewastheknife？
Iwasfoolishenoughtoa
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