triumphantly。’AndthenI
feltsureatthetimethatIhadleftitatCrawley’shouse！’
MrWalkerwrotealettertothedean，whoatthatmomentwasinFlorence，onhiswaytoRome，fromwhencehewasgoingontotheHolyLand。TherecamebackaletterfromMrArabin，sayingthatonthe17thMarchhehadgiventoMrCrawleyasumoffiftypoundsandthatthepaymenthadbeenmadeinfiveBankofEnglandnotesoftenpoundseach，whichhadbeenhandedtohisfriendinthelibraryatthedeanery。Theletterwasveryshort，and，may，perhaps，bedescribedashavingbeenalmostcurt。MrWalker，inhisanxietytodothebesthecouldforMrCrawley，hadsimplyaskedaquestionastothenatureofthetransactionbetweenthetwogentlemen，sayingthatnodoubtthedean’sanswerwouldclearupalittlemysterywhichexistedatpresentrespectingachequefortwentypounds。Thedeaninanswersimplystatedthefactasithadbeengivenabove；buthewrotetoMrCrawleybeggingtoknowwhatwasintruththisnewdifficulty，andofferinganyassistanceinhispower。Heexplainedallthecircumstancesofthemoney，asherememberedthem。Thesunadvancedhadcertainlyconsistedoffiftypounds，andtherehadcertainlybeenfiveBankofEnglandnotes。Hehadputthenotesintoanenvelope，whichhehadnotclosed，buthadaddressedtoMrCrawley，andhadplacedthisenvelopeinhisfriend’shands。HewentontosaythatMrsArabinwouldhavewritten，butthewasinPariswithherson。MrsArabinwastoremaininParisduringhisabsenceintheHolyLand，andmeethiminItalyonhisreturn。Asshewassomuchnearerathand，thedeanexpressedahopethatMrsCrawleywouldapplytoheriftherewasanytrouble。
ThelettertoMrWalkerwasconclusiveastothedean’smoney。MrCrawleyhadnotreceivedLordLufton’schequefromthedean。Thenwhencehadhereceivedit？Thepoorwifewasleftbythelawyertoobtainfurtherinformationfromherhusband。Ah，whocantellhowterriblewerethescenesbetweenthatpoorpairofwretches，asthewifeendeavouredtolearnthetruthfromhermiserable，half—maddenedhusband！Thatherhusbandhadbeenhonestthroughout，shehadnotanyshadowofdoubt。Shedidnotdoubtthattoheratleastheendeavouredtotellthetruth，asfarashispoorrackedimperfectmemorywouldallowhimtorememberwhatwastrueandwhatwasnottrue。Theupshotofitallwasthatthehusbanddeclaredthathestillbelievedthatthemoneyhadcometohimfromthedean。Hehadkeptitbyhim，notwishingtouseitifhecouldhelpit。Hehadforgottenit——sohesaidattimes——havingunderstoodfromArabinthathewastohavefiftypounds，andhavingreceivedmore。
Ifithadnotcometohimfromthedean，thenithadbeensenttohimbythePrinceofEvilforhisutterundoing；andthereweretimesinwhichheseemedtothinkthatsuchhadbeenthemannerinwhichthefatalchequehadreachedhim。Inallthathesaidhewasterriblyconfused，contradictory，unintelligible——speakingalmostasamadmanmightspeak——endingalwaysindeclaringthatthecrueltyoftheworldhadbeentoomuchforhim，thatthewatersweremeetingoverhishead，andprayingtoGod’smercytoremovehimfromthisworld。Itneedhardlybesaidthathispoorwifeinthesedayshadaburdenonhershouldersthatwasmorethanenoughtocrushanywoman。