There is an old saying, “Tread upon a worm and it will turn,” and the unhappy wife was an example of this. She clung to her husband with a firmness which fairly astonished him. “You shall not take away the money, John. I tell you you shall not have it. Give it me back at once.” “Get out; don’t talk to me, woman!” exclaimed Bristow. “Leave go, or it will be worse for you.” “I will not leave go; I will call for assistance.” He endeavoured to shake her off, but she was wound up to a pitch of desperation, and would not part with him. He dragged her across the room, and strove to reach the door. Seeing his intent, she put out all her strength to detain him. “Let go, I say!” he shouted out, in a stentorian voice. Once more he strove to shake her off. Not succeeding in this, he struck her in the face, and tore her garments from her back. He struck her several blows after this, and finally succeeded in flinging her from him. Then with the howl of a wild beast he rushed towards the door: in doing so the side of his body came in contact with a small dressing-table, upon which was a looking-glass. The table was upset, one of its legs was broken, and the plate of the glass was shivered into fragments. Then Bristow rushed out of the house. His wife sat on the side of the bed, sobbing convulsively. Thus ended a scene――the accumulated horrors of which we have purposely avoided giving in all their full detail. Bruised and bleeding from the effects of the blows inflicted by her husband, the wretched woman cried as if her heart was about to break. Very soon after Bristow’s departure Bessie Dalton, upon her return from the factory, let herself in with the latch-key. As she entered the passage she heard sobs and sighs proceeding from the back parlour. She was at no loss to divine that something was amiss. Opening the door of the room she was appalled at beholding Mrs. Bristow seated on the side of the bed in a terrible plight. The clothes were torn off her back, so that the upper portion of her person was nearly in a state of nudity. Her lip was swollen, her nose was bleeding, and one eye was in an incipient state of blackness. To add to the horrors of the scene the furniture was upset, and the miserable apartment gave unmistakable evidence of the violent scene which had just taken place. “For mercy’s sake do tell me what’s the matter?” exclaimed Bessie Dalton. “Oh, don’t ask me――don’t speak to me!” answered the wretched wife. “I wish I was dead――I wish I had never seen that inhuman wretch.” “It is as I guessed. Then Bristow has been here. It is he who has done all this. But do bear up, dear――bear up,” said Bessie, going at once for a bason of water, with which she washed the bruised and bleeding face of her companion. “Ugh, the drunken, good-for-nothing beast,” she ejaculated; “and has it come to this?”