"Edmund!" said the lady suddenly, in a high thin voice, as though the
words burst from her--"If the water by that mill they talked about is
really over the road, I shall get out at once!"
"What?--into it?" The gentleman beside her laughed. "I don't remember, my
dear, that swimming is one of your accomplishments. Do you propose to
hang the baby round your neck?"
"Of course I should take her too! I won't run any risks at all with her!
It would be simply wicked to take such a small child into danger." But
there was a fretful desperation in the tone, as of one long accustomed to
protest in vain.
Mr. Melrose laughed once more--carelessly, as though it were not worth
while to dispute the matter; and the carriage went on--battling, as it
seemed, with the storm.
"I never saw such an _awful_ place in my life!" said the wife's voice
again--with the same note of explosion--after an interval. "It's
horrible--just _horrible_! All the way from Pengarth we've hardly seen a
house, or a light!--and we've been driving nearly an hour. You don't
expect me to _live_ here, Edmund!" The tone was hysterical.
"Don't be a fool, Netta! Doesn't it ever rain in your infernal country,
eh? This is my property, my dear, worse luck! I regret it--but here we
are. Threlfall has got to be my home--so I suppose it'll be yours too."
"You could let or sell it, Edmund!--you know you could--if you cared a
farthing about making me happy."
"I have every reason to think it will suit me perfectly--and you too.
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