It was nearly two o'clock in the morning when Howel reached his home. His little girl was ill in the measles, and Netta, feeling anxious about her, had been sitting up with her. When Howel entered the bedroom in which the mother and child were, he began to talk in a loud voice. 'Why on earth don't you go to bed, Netta?' Netta put her finger on her lips, and pointed to the little bed in which her child was sleeping, then hurried into the next room, a kind of nursery and play-room, and sent the maid, who was sitting there, into the bedroom. Howel followed her; Netta saw that he had been drinking, and was greatly excited; he never was absolutely intoxicated, but he constantly drank too much. 'Why do you sit up I say, Netta?' 'Because Minette is so feverish; I did not like to leave her.' The child had been called Minette by a French _bonne_, and they had all somehow adopted it as a name; her real name was Victoria. 'You didn't sit up for me, of course?' 'Certainly not; you are not so very agreeable when you come home, as to make me sit up for you.' 'I say, Netta, do you know I have written to invite my mother to come and pay us a visit.' 'Your mother! then you must amuse her, for I certainly won't.' 'I beg to say you will, and will do everything in your power to make her visit agreeable. It will be worse for you if you do not. What do you mean by always disobeying me?' 'You had better not strike me again, you coward, you! Justine will hear you. She can see and hear, if she can't understand.' 'I tell you what, Netta, everything may depend on our reception of my mother--your very living, and mine, and Minette's.' 'I don't care about living; I'd rather starve than live the life I do, and if I have Aunt 'Lizbeth, too, I shall run away, I am sure I shall.' 'With whom, madam?' 'With anybody or nobody; I don't care what becomes of me since you're so unkind. Perhaps you'd like to see my shoulder that you hurt yesterday? I haven't had the pleasure of seeing you since. Your shakes, and pinches ain't very soft, sir, I assure you.' Netta threw off a portion of the white dressing-gown she had on, and displayed her round white neck and shoulder disfigured by a black-and-blue mark. 'I'll do the same to the other if you aggravate me any more,' said Howel, clenching his teeth, and moving towards Netta. 'Not to-night, anyhow,' said Netta, running through the door and short passage into her child's bedroom. She knew that he was always sufficiently master of himself not to expose himself before the servants. 'Justine, I shall sleep with Minette to-night--that is to say, I shall lie down on this sofa by her side. You can go to bed as usual,' said Netta. And when Minette and Justine were fast asleep in their respective beds, poor Netta sat and cried the livelong night, with her feet upon the fender, and her eyes fixed upon the almost-extinguished fire.