"Miss Prettyman, indeed, and--oh yes! now I see! Now the whole light breaks in upon me! Now I know why you wished me to ask her with Mr. and Mrs. Prettyman to tea! And I, like a poor blind fool, was nearly doing it. But now, as I say, my eyes are open! And you'd have brought her under my own roof--now it's no use your bouncing about in that fashion--you'd have brought her into the very house, where--" "Here," says Caudle, "I could endure it no longer. So I jumped out of bed, and went and slept somehow with the children." LECTURE XIX--MRS. CAUDLE THINKS "IT WOULD LOOK WELL TO KEEP THEIR WEDDING-DAY." "Caudle, love, do you know what next Sunday is? "NO! YOU DON'T? "Well, was there ever such a strange man! Can't you guess, darling? Next Sunday, dear? Think, love, a minute--just think. "WHAT! AND YOU DON'T KNOW NOW? "Ha! if I hadn't a better memory than you, I don't know how we should ever get on. Well, then, pet,--shall I tell you what next Sunday is? Why, then, it's our wedding-day--What are you groaning at, Mr. Caudle? I don't see anything to groan at. If anybody should groan, I'm sure it isn't you. No: I rather think it's I who ought to groan! "Oh, dear! That's fourteen years ago. You were a very different man then, Mr. Caudle. What do you say--? "AND I WAS A VERY DIFFERENT WOMAN? "Not at all--just the same. Oh, you needn't roll your head about on the pillow in that way: I say, just the same. Well, then, if I'm altered, whose fault is it? Not mine, I'm sure--certainly not. Don't tell me that I couldn't talk at all then--I could talk just as well then as I can now; only then I hadn't the same cause. It's you who've made me talk. What do you say? "YOU'RE VERY SORRY FOR IT? "Caudle, you do nothing but insult me. "Ha! you were a good-tempered, nice creature fourteen years ago, and would have done anything for me. Yes, yes, if a woman would be always cared for, she should never marry. There's quite an end of the charm when she goes to church! We're all angels while you're courting us; but once married, how soon you pull our wings off! No, Mr. Caudle, I'm not talking nonsense; but the truth is, you like to hear nobody talk but yourself. Nobody ever tells me that I talk nonsense but you. Now, it's no use your turning and turning about in that way, it's not a bit of--what do you say? "YOU'LL GET UP? "No you won't, Mr. Caudle; you'll not serve me that trick again; for I've locked the door and hid the key. There's no getting hold of you all the day-time--but here you can't leave me. You needn't groan again, Mr. Caudle.