The Nine of Hearts. Farjeon Benjamin Leopold

"Not for another month. They went to Italy, and I went with them."

      The Attorney-general. "Did the prisoner's attentions to his wife undergo any marked change after her convalescence? Was he more affectionate-more lovingly attentive?"

      Witness. "Not that I saw. All he seemed to crave for was excitement. It was nothing but rushing here and rushing there. Every night some theatre or entertainment to go to; every day riding about, and dining out at different places."

      The Attorney-general. "So that there was not much of home life?"

      Witness. "None at all."

      The Attorney-general. "Was this state of things agreeable to your mistress?"

      Witness. "I am not sure. Sometimes she suggested to her husband that they should spend a quiet evening at home, but he always replied that he had tickets, or had taken seats, for some place of entertainment. When she spoke to me of the life they were leading, she used to say how attentive her husband was to her, and how he was always looking out for something to amuse her. But I did not regard it in that light; I thought it was more for himself than for her that he kept up such a round of excitement. It helped him to forget."

      The Attorney-general. "To forget what?"

      Witness. "That he was a married man."

      The Attorney-general. "During those early days were there any quarrels between them?"

      Witness. "No, not what you can call quarrels. Sometimes she complained, or found fault, but he seldom at that time answered her in any way to cause a quarrel-that is, so far as he was concerned. It was different afterwards. There were occasions during their honey-moon-if you can call it a honey-moon-and at first when they were settled at home, when his silence provoked my mistress, and made her madder than an open row would have done. But the more she stormed the quieter he was, and these scenes always ended in one way: Mr. Layton would leave the house, and remain absent for a good many hours. Then my poor mistress would torment herself dreadfully, and would cry her eyes out, and rave and stamp about like a distracted creature. 'He will never come back!' she would say. 'I have driven him from me! He will make away with himself! What a wretch I am!' A ring at the bell or a knock at the door would send her flying down-stairs to see if it was her husband. I was really afraid sometimes that she would go quite out of her mind. Then, when he came back, she would rush up to him and throw her arms round his neck, and sob, and fall upon her knees to ask forgiveness. It was a dreadful life to lead."

      The Attorney-general. "In what way would the prisoner receive these tokens of penitence on the part of your mistress?"

      Witness. "In just the same way as he received her scoldings. The one remark I heard him make to her in those days-not always in the same words, but always to the same effect-was, 'You should have more control over yourself.' I used to wonder that a man could be so provoked and keep so cool. But a person may be cold outside and hot inside."

      The Attorney-general. "Do you think that was the case with the prisoner?"

      Witness. "Yes, I do think so."

      The Attorney-general. "Well, they came home and settled down?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "Now about the home they occupied? Did they rent it, or was it their own property?"