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Iwaitedinthehousetillthetownwasastirfortheday，andthenIwenttoconsultalawyer。Intheconfusedstateofmymindatthetime，IhadoneclearnotionofwhatImeanttodo:Iwasdeterminedtosellmyhouseandleavetheneighborhood。TherewereobstaclesinthewaywhichIhadnotcountedon。IwastoldIhadcreditorstosatisfybeforeIcouldleave——I，whohadgivenmywifethemoneytopaymybillsregularlyeveryweek！InquiryshowedthatshehadembezzledeveryfarthingofthemoneyIhadintrustedtoher。Ihadnochoicebuttopayoveragain。
Placedinthisawkwardposition，myfirstdutywastosetthingsright，withthehelpofmylawyer。DuringmyforcedsojourninthetownIdidtwofoolishthings。And，asaconsequencethatfollowed，Iheardoncemore，andheardforthelasttime，ofmywife。
Inthefirstplace，havinggotpossessionoftheknife，Iwasrashenoughtokeepitinmypocket。Inthesecondplace，havingsomethingofimportancetosaytomylawyer，atalatehouroftheevening，Iwenttohishouseafterdark——aloneandonfoot。Igottheresafelyenough。Returning，Iwasseizedonfrombehindbytwomen，draggeddownapassageandrobbed——notonlyofthelittlemoneyIhadaboutme，butalsooftheknife。Itwasthelawyer’sopinion(asitwasmine)thatthethieveswereamongthedisreputableacquaintancesformedbymywife，andthatthey，hadattackedmeatherinstigation。ToconfirmthisviewIreceivedaletterthenextday，withoutdateoraddress，writteninAlicia’shand。Thefirstlineinformedmethattheknifewasbackagaininherpossession。ThesecondlineremindedmeofthedaywhenI
struckher。Thethirdlinewarnedmethatshewouldwashoutthestainofthatblowinmyblood，andrepeatedthewords，“Ishalldoitwiththeknife！“
Thesethingshappenedayearago。Thelawlaidhandsonthemenwhohadrobbedme；butfromthattimetothis，thelawhasfailedcompletelytofindatraceofmywife。
Mystoryistold。WhenIhadpaidthecreditorsandpaidthelegalexpenses，Ihadbarelyfivepoundsleftoutofthesaleofmyhouse；andIhadtheworldtobeginoveragain。Somemonthssince——
driftinghereandthere——IfoundmywaytoUnderbridge。Thelandlordoftheinnhadknownsomethingofmyfather’sfamilyintimespast。Hegaveme(allhehadtogive)myfood，andshelterintheyard。Exceptonmarketdays，thereisnothingtodo。Inthecomingwintertheinnistobeshutup，andIshallhavetoshiftformyself。MyoldmasterwouldhelpmeifIappliedtohim——
butIdon’tliketoapply:hehasdonemoreformealreadythanI
deserve。Besides，inanotheryearwhoknowsbutmytroublesmayallbeatanend？Nextwinterwillbringmenightomynextbirthday，andmynextbirthdaymaybethedayofmydeath。Yes！
it’strueIsatupalllastnight；andIheardtwointhemorningstrike:andnothinghappened。Still，allowingforthat，thetimetocomeisatimeIdon’ttrust。Mywifehasgottheknife——mywifeislookingforme。Iamabovesuperstition，mind！Idon’tsayIbelieveindreams；Ionlysay，AliciaWarlockislookingforme。ItispossibleImaybewrong。ItispossibleImayberight。
Whocantell？
WetookleaveofFrancisRavenatthedoorofFarleighHall，withtheunderstandingthathemightexpecttohearfromusagain。
ThesamenightMrs。FairbankandIhadadiscussioninthesanctuaryofourownroom。Thetopicwas“TheHostler’sStory“；
andthequestionindisputebetweenusturnedonthemeasureofcharitabledutythatweowedtothehostlerhimself。
TheviewItookoftheman’snarrativewasofthepurelymatter-of-
factkind。FrancisRavenhad，inmyopinion，broodedoverthemistyconnectionbetweenhisstrangedreamandhisvilewife，untilhismindwasinastateofpartialdelusiononthatsubject。Iwasquitewillingtohelphimwithatrifleofmoney，andtorecommendhimtothekindnessofmylawyer，ifhewasreallyinanydangerandwantedadvice。Theremyideaofmydutytowardthisafflictedpersonbeganandended。
Confrontedwiththissensibleviewofthematter，Mrs。Fairbank’sromantictemperamentrushed，asusual，intoextremes。“IshouldnomorethinkoflosingsightofFrancisRavenwhenhisnextbirthdaycomesround，“saysmywife，“thanIshouldthinkoflayingdownagoodstorywiththelastchaptersunread。Iampositivelydetermined，Percy，totakehimbackwi
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