Bellew's face had changed. Its expression was furtive; his mouth twitched; a furrow had come between his eyes. “How--are--you?” he said in a thick, muttering voice. Mrs. Bellew's clear voice answered: “Now, Jaspar, what is it that you want?” The little brown devils leaped up again in Jaspar's face. “You look very pretty to-night!” His wife's lips curled. “I'm much the same as I always was,” she said. A violent shudder shook Bellew. He fixed his eyes on the floor a little beyond her to the left; suddenly he raised them. They were quite lifeless. “I'm perfectly sober,” he murmured thickly; then with startling quickness his eyes began to sparkle again. He came a step nearer. “You're my wife!” he said. Mrs. Bellew smiled. “Come,” she answered, “you must go!” and she put out her bare arm to push him back. But Bellew recoiled of his own accord; his eyes were fixed again on the floor a little beyond her to the left. “What's that?” he stammered. “What's that--that black----?” The devilry, mockery, admiration, bemusement, had gone out of his face; it was white and calm, and horribly pathetic. “Don't turn me out,” he stammered; “don't turn me out!” Mrs. Bellew looked at him hard; the defiance in her eyes changed to a sort of pity. She took a quick step and put her hand on his shoulder. “It's all right, old boy--all right!” she said. “There's nothing there!” CHAPTER IX MR. PARAMOR DISPOSES Mrs. Pendyce, who, in accordance with her husband's wish, still occupied the same room as Mr. Pendyce, chose the ten minutes before he got up to break to him Gregory's decision. The moment was auspicious, for he was only half awake. “Horace,” she said, and her face looked young and anxious, “Grig says that Helen Bellew ought not to go on in her present position. Of course, I told him that you'd be annoyed, but Grig says that she can't go on like this, that she simply must divorce Captain Bellew.” Mr. Pendyce was lying on his back. “What's that?” he said. Mrs. Pendyce went on “I knew it would worry you; but really”--she fixed her eyes on the ceiling--“I suppose we ought only to think of her.” The Squire sat up. “What was that,” he said, “about Bellew?” Mrs. Pendyce went on in a languid voice and without moving her eyes: “Don't be angrier than you can help, dear; it is so wearing. If Grig says she ought to divorce Captain Bellew, then I'm sure she ought.” Horace Pendyce subsided on his pillow with a bounce, and he too lay with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. “Divorce him!” he said--“I should think so! He ought to be hanged, a fellow like that. I told you last night he nearly drove over me. Living just as he likes, setting an example of devilry to the whole neighbourhood! If I hadn't kept my head he'd have bowled me over like a ninepin, and Bee into the bargain.” Mrs. Pendyce sighed. “It was a narrow escape,” she said.