Iwaitedinthehousetillthetownwasastirfortheday，andthenIwenttoconsultalawyer。Intheconfusedstateofmymindatthetime，IhadoneclearnotionofwhatImeanttodo:Iwasdeterminedtosellmyhouseandleavetheneighborhood。TherewereobstaclesinthewaywhichIhadnotcountedon。IwastoldIhadcreditorstosatisfybeforeIcouldleave——I，whohadgivenmywifethemoneytopaymybillsregularlyeveryweek！InquiryshowedthatshehadembezzledeveryfarthingofthemoneyIhadintrustedtoher。Ihadnochoicebuttopayoveragain。
Placedinthisawkwardposition，myfirstdutywastosetthingsright，withthehelpofmylawyer。DuringmyforcedsojourninthetownIdidtwofoolishthings。And，asaconsequencethatfollowed，Iheardoncemore，andheardforthelasttime，ofmywife。
Inthefirstplace，havinggotpossessionoftheknife，Iwasrashenoughtokeepitinmypocket。Inthesecondplace，havingsomethingofimportancetosaytomylawyer，atalatehouroftheevening，Iwenttohishouseafterdark——aloneandonfoot。Igottheresafelyenough。Returning，Iwasseizedonfrombehindbytwomen，draggeddownapassageandrobbed——notonlyofthelittlemoneyIhadaboutme，butalsooftheknife。Itwasthelawyer’sopinionasitwasminethatthethieveswereamongthedisreputableacquaintancesformedbymywife，andthatthey，hadattackedmeatherinstigation。ToconfirmthisviewIreceivedaletterthenextday，withoutdateoraddress，writteninAlicia’shand。Thefirstlineinformedmethattheknifewasbackagaininherpossession。ThesecondlineremindedmeofthedaywhenI
struckher。Thethirdlinewarnedmethatshewouldwashoutthestainofthatblowinmyblood，andrepeatedthewords，“Ishalldoitwiththeknife！“
Thesethingshappenedayearago。Thelawlaidhandsonthemenwhohadrobbedme；butfromthattimetothis，thelawhasfailedcompletelytofindatraceofmywife。
Mystoryistold。WhenIhadpaidthecreditorsandpaidthelegalexpenses，Ihadbarelyfivepoundsleftoutofthesaleofmyhouse；andIhadtheworldtobeginoveragain。Somemonthssince——
driftinghereandthere——IfoundmywaytoUnderbridge。Thelandlordoftheinnhadknownsomethingofmyfather’sfamilyintimespast。Hegavemeallhehadtogivemyfood，andshelterintheyard。Exceptonmarketdays，thereisnothingtodo。Inthecomingwintertheinnistobeshutup，andIshallhavetoshiftformyself。MyoldmasterwouldhelpmeifIappliedtohim——
butIdon’tliketoapply:hehasdonemoreformealreadythanI
deserve。Besides，inanotheryearwhoknowsbutmytroublesmayallbeatanend？Nextwinterwillbringmenightomynextbirthday，andmynextbirthdaymaybethedayofmydeath。Yes！
it’strueIsatupalllastnight；andIheardtwointhemorningstrike:andnothinghappened。Still，allowingforthat，thetimetocomeisatimeIdon’ttrust。Mywifehasgottheknife——mywifeislookingforme。Iamabovesuperstition，mind！Idon’tsayIbelieveindreams；Ionlysay，AliciaWarlockislookingforme。ItispossibleImaybewrong。ItispossibleImayberight。
Whocantell？
WetookleaveofFrancisRavenatthedoorofFarleighHall，withtheunderstandingthathemightexpecttohearfromusagain。
ThesamenightMrs。FairbankandIhadadiscussioninthesanctuaryofourownroom。Thetopicwas“TheHostler’sStory“；
andthequestionindisputebetweenusturnedonthemeasureofcharitabledutythatweowedtothehostlerhimself。
TheviewItookoftheman’snarrativewasofthepurelymatter-of-
factkind。FrancisRavenhad，inmyopinion，broodedoverthemistyconnectionbetweenhisstrangedreamandhisvilewife，untilhismindwasinastateofpartialdelusiononthatsubject。Iwasquitewillingtohelphimwithatrifleofmoney，andtorecommendhimtothekindnessofmylawyer，ifhewasreallyinanydangerandwantedadvice。Theremyideaofmydutytowardthisafflictedpersonbeganandended。
Confrontedwiththissensibleviewofthematter，Mrs。Fairbank’sromantictemperamentrushed，asusual，intoextremes。“IshouldnomorethinkoflosingsightofFrancisRavenwhenhisnextbirthdaycomesround，“saysmywife，“thanIshouldthinkoflayingdownagoodstorywiththelastchaptersunread。Iampositivelydetermined，Percy，totakehimbackwithuswhenwereturntoFrance，inthecapacityofgroom。Whatdoesonemanmoreorlessamongthehorsesmattertopeopleasrichasweare？“Inthisstrainthepartnerofmyjoysandsorrowsranon，perfectlyimpenetrabletoeverythingthatIcouldsayonthesideofcommonsense。NeedItellmymarriedbrethrenhowitended？OfcourseI
allowedmywifetoirritateme，andspoketohersharply。
Ofcoursemywifeturnedherfaceawayindignantlyontheconjugalpillow，andburstintotears。Ofcourseuponthat，“Mr。“madehisexcuses，and“Mrs。“hadherownway。
BeforetheweekwasoutwerodeovertoUnderbridge，anddulyofferedtoFrancisRavenaplaceinourserviceassupernumerarygroom。
Atfirstthepoorfellowseemedhardlyabletorealizehisownextraordinarygoodfortune。Recoveringhimself，heexpressedhisgratitudemodestlyandbecomingly。Mrs。Fairbank’sreadysympathiesoverflowed，asusual，atherlips。ShetalkedtohimaboutourhomeinFrance，asiftheworn，gray-headedhostlerhadbeenachild。“Suchadearoldhouse，Francis；andsuchprettygardens！Stables！Stablestentimesasbigasyourstableshere——
quiteachoiceofroomsforyou。Youmustlearnthenameofourhouse——MaisonRouge。OurnearesttownisMetz。WearewithinawalkofthebeautifulRiverMoselle。Andwhenwewantachangewehaveonlytotaketherailwaytothefrontier，andfindourselvesinGermany。“
Listening，sofar，withaverybewilderedface，Francisstartedandchangedcolorwhenmywifereachedtheendofherlastsentence。
“Germany？“herepeated。
“Yes。DoesGermanyremindyouofanything？“
Thehostler’seyeslookeddownsadlyontheground。“Germanyremindsmeofmywife，“hereplied。
“Indeed！How？“
“SheoncetoldmeshehadlivedinGermany——longbeforeIknewher——
inthetimewhenshewasayounggirl。“
“Wasshelivingwithrelationsorfriends？“
“Shewaslivingasgovernessinaforeignfamily。“
“InwhatpartofGermany？“
“Idon’tremember，ma’am。Idoubtifshetoldme。“
“Didshetellyouthenameofthefamily？“
“Yes，ma’am。Itwasaforeignname，andithasslippedmymemorylongsince。Theheadofthefamilywasawinegrowerinalargewayofbusiness——Irememberthat。“
“Didyouhearwhatsortofwinehegrew？Therearewinegrowersinourneighborhood。WasitMosellewine？“
“Icouldn’tsay，ma’am，IdoubtifIeverheard。“
Theretheconversationdropped。WeengagedtocommunicatewithFrancisRavenbeforeweleftEngland，andtookourleave。IhadmadearrangementstopayourroundofvisitstoEnglishfriends，andtoreturntoMaisonRougeinthesummer。Ontheeveofdeparture，certaindifficultiesinconnectionwiththemanagementofsomelandedpropertyofmineinIrelandobligedustoalterourplans。InsteadofgettingbacktoourhouseinFranceintheSummer，weonlyreturnedaweekortwobeforeChristmas。FrancisRavenaccompaniedus，andwasdulyestablished，inthenominalcapacityofstablekeeper，amongtheservantsatMaisonRouge。
Beforelong，someoftheobjectionstotakinghimintoouremployment，whichIhadforeseenandhadvainlymentionedtomywife，forcedthemselvesonourattentioninnoveryagreeableform。
FrancisRavenfailedasIhadfearedhewouldtogetonsmoothlywithhisfellow-servants。TheywereallFrench；andnotoneofthemunderstoodEnglish。Francis，onhisside，wasequallyignorantofFrench。Hisreservedmanners，hismelancholytemperament，hissolitaryways——alltoldagainsthim。Ourservantscalledhim“theEnglishBear。“Hegrewwidelyknownintheneighborhoodunderhisnickname。Quarrelstookplace，endingonceortwiceinblows。Itbecameplain，eventoMrs。Fairbankherself，thatsomewisechangemustbemade。Whilewewerestillconsideringwhatthechangewastobe，theunfortunatehostlerwasthrownonourhandsforsometimetocomebyanaccidentinthestables。Stillpursuedbyhisproverbialill-luck，thepoorwretch’slegwasbrokenbyakickfromahorse。
Hewasattendedtobyourownsurgeon，inhiscomfortablebedroomatthestables。Asthedateofhisbirthdaydrewnear，hewasstillconfinedtohisbed。
Physicallyspeaking，hewasdoingverywell。Morallyspeaking，thesurgeonwasnotsatisfied。FrancisRavenwassufferingundersomemysteriousmentaldisturbance，whichinterferedseriouslywithhisrestatnight。Hearingthis，Ithoughtitmydutytotellthemedicalattendantwhatwaspreyingonthepatient’smind。Asapracticalman，hesharedmyopinionthatthehostlerwasinastateofdelusiononthesubjectofhisWifeandhisDream。“Curabledelusion，inmyopinion，“thesurgeonadded，“iftheexperimentcouldbefairlytried。“
“Howcanitbetried？“Iasked。Insteadofreplying，thesurgeonputaquestiontome，onhisside。
“Doyouhappentoknow，“hesaid，“thatthisyearisLeapYear？“
“Mrs。Fairbankremindedmeofityesterday，“Ianswered。
“OtherwiseImightNOThaveknownit。“
“DoyouthinkFrancisRavenknowsthatthisyearisLeapYear？“
Ibegantoseedimlywhatmyfriendwasdrivingat。
“Itdepends，“Ianswered，“onwhetherhehasgotanEnglishalmanac。SupposehehasNOTgotthealmanac——whatthen？“
“Inthatcase，“pursuedthesurgeon，“FrancisRavenisinnocentofallsuspicionthatthereisatwenty-ninthdayinFebruarythisyear。Asanecessaryconsequence——whatwillhedo？HewillanticipatetheappearanceoftheWomanwiththeKnife，attwointhemorningofthetwenty-ninthofFebruary，insteadofthefirstofMarch。Lethimsufferallhissuperstitiousterrorsonthewrongday。Leavehim，onthedaythatisreallyhisbirthday，topassaperfectlyquietnight，andtobeassoundasleepasotherpeopleattwointhemorning。Andthen，whenhewakescomfortablyintimeforhisbreakfast，shamehimoutofhisdelusionbytellinghimthetruth。“
Iagreedtotrytheexperiment。LeavingthesurgeontocautionMrs。FairbankonthesubjectofLeapYear，IwenttothestablestoseeMr。Raven。
XV
ThepoorfellowwasfullofforebodingsofthefateinstoreforhimontheominousfirstofMarch。Heeagerlyentreatedmetoorderoneofthemenservantstositupwithhimonthebirthdaymorning。Ingrantinghisrequest，Iaskedhimtotellmeonwhichdayoftheweekhisbirthdayfell。Hereckonedthedaysonhisfingers；andprovedhisinnocenceofallsuspicionthatitwasLeapYear，byfixingonthetwenty-ninthofFebruary，inthefullpersuasionthatitwasthefirstofMarch。Pledgedtotrythesurgeon’sexperiment，Ilefthiserroruncorrected，ofcourse。Insodoing，ItookmyfirststepblindfoldtowardthelastactinthedramaoftheHostler’sDream。
Thenextdaybroughtwithitalittledomesticdifficulty，whichindirectlyandstrangelyassociateditselfwiththecomingend。
Mywifereceivedaletter，invitingustoassistincelebratingthe“SilverWedding“oftwoworthyGermanneighborsofours——Mr。andMrs。Beldheimer。Mr。BeldheimerwasalargewinegroweronthebanksoftheMoselle。HishousewassituatedonthefrontierlineofFranceandGermany；andthedistancefromourhousewassufficientlyconsiderabletomakeitnecessaryforustosleepunderourhost’sroof。Underthesecircumstances，ifweacceptedtheinvitation，acomparisonofdatesshowedthatweshouldbeawayfromhomeonthemorningofthefirstofMarch。Mrs。Fairbank——
holdingtoherabsurdresolutiontoseewithherowneyeswhatmight，ormightnot，happentoFrancisRavenonhisbirthday——
flatlydeclinedtoleaveMaisonRouge。“It’seasytosendanexcuse，“shesaid，inheroff-handmanner。
Ifailed，formypart，toseeanyeasywayoutofthedifficulty。
Thecelebrationofa“SilverWedding“inGermanyisthecelebrationoftwenty-fiveyearsofhappymarriedlife；andthehost’sclaimupontheconsiderationofhisfriendsonsuchanoccasionissomethinginthenatureofaroyal“command。“Afterconsiderablediscussion，findingmywife’sobstinacyinvincible，andfeelingthattheabsenceofbothofusfromthefestivalwouldcertainlyoffendourfriends，IleftMrs。Fairbanktomakeherexcusesforherself，anddirectedhertoaccepttheinvitationsofarasIwasconcerned。Insodoing，Itookmysecondstep，blindfold，towardthelastactinthedramaoftheHostler’sDream。
Aweekelapsed；thelastdaysofFebruarywereathand。Anotherdomesticdifficultyhappened；and，again，thiseventalsoprovedtobestrangelyassociatedwiththecomingend。
MyheadgroomatthestableswasoneJosephRigobert。Hewasanill-conditionedfellow，inordinatelyvainofhispersonalappearance，andbynomeansscrupulousinhisconductwithwomen。