’That’sright！’thoughtVal，’pileiton！’”CrisisearlyinOctober，whentherespondentwroteherthisletterfromhisClub。”
Valsatupandhisearsburned。”Iproposetoreaditwiththeemendationsnecessarytotheepistleofagentlemanwhohasbeen——
shallwesaydining，meLud?”
’Oldbrute！’thoughtVal，flushingdeeper；’you’renotpaidtomakejokes！’”’Youwillnotgetthechancetoinsultmeagaininmyownhouse。
Iamleavingthecountryto-morrow。It’splayedout’——anexpression，yourLudship，notunknowninthemouthsofthosewhohavenotmetwithconspicuoussuccess。”
’Sniggeringowls！’thoughtVal，andhisflushdeepened。”’Iamtiredofbeinginsultedbyyou。’MyclientwilltellyourLudshipthattheseso-calledinsultsconsistedinhercallinghim’thelimit’averymildexpression，Iventuretosuggest，inallthecircumstances。”
Valglancedsidewaysathismother’simpassiveface，ithadahuntedlookintheeyes。’Poormother，’hethought，andtouchedherarmwithhisown。Thevoicebehinddronedon。”’Iamgoingtoliveanewlife。M。D。’””Andnextday，meLud，therespondentleftbythesteamshipTuscaroraforBuenosAires。Sincethenwehavenothingfromhimbutacabledrefusalinanswertotheletterwhichmyclientwrotethefollowingdayingreatdistress，begginghimtoreturntoher。
WithyourLudship’spermission。IshallnowputMrs。Dartieinthebox。”
Whenhismotherrose，Valhadatremendousimpulsetorisetooandsay：’Lookhere！I’mgoingtoseeyoujollywelltreatherdecently。’Hesubduedit，however；heardhersaying，’thetruth，thewholetruth，andnothingbutthetruth，’andlookedup。Shemadearichfigureofit，inherfursandlargehat，withaslightflushonhercheek-bones，calm，matter-of-fact；andhefeltproudofherthusconfrontingallthese’confoundedlawyers。’Theexaminationbegan。Knowingthatthiswasonlythepreliminarytodivorce，Valfollowedwithacertaingleethequestionsframedsoastogivetheimpressionthatshereallywantedhisfatherback。
Itseemedtohimthattheywere’foxingOldBagwigsfinely。’
AndhereceivedamostunpleasantjarwhentheJudgesaidsuddenly：”Now，whydidyourhusbandleaveyou——notbecauseyoucalledhim’thelimit，’youknow?”
Valsawhisunclelifthiseyestothewitnessbox，withoutmovinghisface；heardashuffleofpapersbehindhim；andinstincttoldhimthattheissuewasinperil。HadUncleSoamesandtheoldbufferbehindmadeamessofit?Hismotherwasspeakingwithaslightdrawl。”No，myLord，butithadgoneonalongtime。””Whathadgoneon?””Ourdifferencesaboutmoney。””Butyousuppliedthemoney。Doyousuggestthatheleftyoutobetterhisposition?”
’Thebrute！Theoldbrute，andnothingbutthebrute！’thoughtValsuddenly。’Hesmellsarathe’stryingtogetatthepastry！’
Andhisheartstoodstill。If——ifhedid，then，ofcourse，hewouldknowthathismotherdidn’treallywanthisfatherback。Hismotherspokeagain，athoughtmorefashionably。”No，myLord，butyouseeIhadrefusedtogivehimanymoremoney。
Ittookhimalongtimetobelievethat，buthedidatlast——andwhenhedid……””Isee，youhadrefused。Butyou’vesenthimsomesince。””MyLord，Iwantedhimback。””Andyouthoughtthatwouldbringhim?””Idon’tknow，myLord，Iactedonmyfather’sadvice。”
SomethingintheJudge’sface，inthesoundofthepapersbehindhim，inthesuddencrossingofhisuncle’slegs，toldValthatshehadmadejusttherightanswer。’Crafty！’hethought；’byJove，whathumbugitallis！’
TheJudgewasspeaking：”Justonemorequestion，Mrs。Dartie。Areyoustillfondofyourhusband?”
Val’shands，slackbehindhim，becamefists。WhatbusinesshadthatJudgetomakethingshumansuddenly?Tomakehismotherspeakoutofherheart，andsaywhat，perhaps，shedidn’tknowherself，beforeallthesepeople！Itwasn’tdecent。Hismotheranswered，ratherlow：”Yes，myLord。”ValsawtheJudgenod。’WishIcouldtakeacock-shyatyourhead！’hethoughtirreverently，ashismothercamebacktoherseatbesidehim。Witnessestohisfather’sdepartureandcontinuedabsencefollowed——oneoftheirownmaidseven，whichstruckValasparticularlybeastly；therewasmoretalking，allhumbug；andthentheJudgepronouncedthedecreeforrestitution，andtheygotuptogo。Valwalkedoutbehindhismother，chinsquared，eyelidsdrooped，doinghislevelbesttodespiseeverybody。Hismother’svoiceinthecorridorrousedhimfromanangrytrance。”Youbehavedbeautifully，dear。Itwassuchacomforttohaveyou。
YouruncleandIaregoingtolunch。””Allright，”saidVal；”Ishallhavetimetogoandseethatfellow。”And，partingfromthemabruptly，herandownthestairsandoutintotheair。Heboltedintoahansom，anddrovetotheGoat’sClub。HisthoughtswereonHollyandwhathemustdobeforeherbrothershowedherthisthinginto-morrow’spaper。
WhenValhadleftthemSoamesandWinifredmadetheirwaytotheCheshireCheese。HehadsuggesteditasameetingplacewithMr。
Bellby。Atthatearlyhourofnoontheywouldhaveittothemselves，andWinifredhadthoughtitwouldbe’amusing’toseethisfar-famedhostelry。Havingorderedalightrepast，totheconsternationofthewaiter，theyawaiteditsarrivaltogetherwiththatofMr。Bellby，insilentreactionafterthehourandahalf’ssuspenseonthetenterhooksofpublicity。Mr。Bellbyenteredpresently，precededbyhisnose，ascheerfulastheywereglum。
Well！theyhadgotthedecreeofrestitution，andwhatwasthematterwiththat！”Quite，”saidSoamesinasuitablylowvoice，”butweshallhavetobeginagaintogetevidence。He’llprobablytrythedivorce——itwilllookfishyifitcomesoutthatweknewofmisconductfromthestart。Hisquestionsshowedwellenoughthathedoesn’tlikethisrestitutiondodge。””Pho！”saidMr。Bellbycheerily，”he’llforget！Why，man，he’llhavetriedahundredcasesbetweennowandthen。Besides，he’sboundbyprecedenttogiveyeyourdivorce，iftheevidenceissatisfactory。Wewon’tletumknowthatMrs。Dartiehadknowledgeofthefacts。Dreamerdiditverynicely——he’sgotafatherlytouchaboutum！”
Soamesnodded。”AndIcomplimentye，Mrs。Dartie，”wentonMr。Bellby；”ye’veanaturalgiftforgivingevidence。Steadyasarock。”
Herethe，waiterarrivedwiththreeplatesbalancedononearm，andtheremark：”I’urriedupthepudden，sir。You’llfindplentyo’
larkinitto-day。”
Mr。Bellbyapplaudedhisforethoughtwithadipofhisnose。ButSoamesandWinifredlookedwithdismayattheirlightlunchofgraviffredbrownmasses，touchingthemgingerlywiththeirforksinthehopeofdistinguishingthebodiesofthetastylittlesong-
givers。Havingbegun，however，theyfoundtheywerehungrierthantheythought，andfinishedthelot，withaglassofportapiece。
Conversationturnedonthewar。SoamesthoughtLadysmithwouldfall，anditmightlastayear。Bellbythoughtitwouldbeoverbythesummer。Bothagreedthattheywantedmoremen。Therewasnothingforitbutcompletevictory，sinceitwasnowaquestionofprestige。WinifredbroughtthingsbacktomoresolidgroundbysayingthatshedidnotwantthedivorcesuittocomeontillafterthesummerholidayshadbegunatOxford，thentheboyswouldhaveforgottenaboutitbeforeValhadtogoupagain；theLondonseasontoowouldbeover。Thelawyersreassuredher，anintervalofsixmonthswasnecessary——afterthattheearlierthebetter。Peoplewerenowbeginningtocomein，andtheyparted——Soamestothecity，Bellbytohischambers，WinifredinahansomtoParkLanetolethermotherknowhowshehadfared。TheissuehadbeensosatisfactoryonthewholethatitwasconsideredadvisabletotellJames，whoneverfailedtosaydayafterdaythathedidn’tknowaboutWinifred’saffair，hecouldn’ttell。Ashissandsranout；
theimportanceofmundanemattersbecameincreasinglygravetohim，asifhewerefeeling：’Imustmakethemostofit，andworrywell；
Ishallsoonhavenothingtoworryabout。’
Hereceivedthereportgrudgingly。Itwasanew-fangledwayofgoingaboutthings，andhedidn’tknow！ButhegaveWinifredacheque，saying：”Iexpectyou’llhavealotofexpense。That’sanewhatyou’vegoton。Whydoesn’tValcomeandseeus?”
Winifredpromisedtobringhimtodinnersoon。And，goinghome，shesoughtherbedroomwhereshecouldbealone。Nowthatherhusbandhadbeenorderedbackintohercustodywithaviewtoputtinghimawayfromherforever，shewouldtryoncemoretofindoutfromhersoreandlonelyheartwhatshereallywanted。
CHAPTERVIII
THECHALLENGE
Themorninghadbeenmisty，vergingonfrost，butthesuncameoutwhileValwasjoggingtowardstheRoehamptonGate，whencehewouldcanterontotheusualtryst。Hisspiritswererisingrapidly。
Therehadbeennothingsoveryterribleinthemorning’sproceedingsbeyondthegeneraldisgraceofviolatedprivacy。’Ifwewereengaged！’hethought，’whathappenswouldn’tmatter。’Hefelt，indeed，likehumansociety，whichkicksandclamoursattheresultsofmatrimony，andhastenstogetmarried。Andhegallopedoverthewinter-driedgrassofRichmondPark，fearingtobelate。
Butagainhewasaloneatthetrystingspot，andthisseconddefectiononthepartofHollyupsethimdreadfully。Hecouldnotgobackwithoutseeingherto-day！EmergingfromthePark，heproceededtowardsRobinHill。Hecouldnotmakeuphismindforwhomtoask。Supposeherfatherwereback，orhersisterorbrotherwerein！Hedecidedtogamble，andaskforthemallfirst，sothatifhewereinluckandtheywerenotthere，itwouldbequitenaturalintheendtoaskforHolly；whileifanyofthemwerein——an’excuseforaride’mustbehissavinggrace。”OnlyMissHollyisin，sir。””Oh！thanks。MightItakemyhorseroundtothestables?Andwouldyousay——hercousin，Mr。ValDartie。”
Whenhereturnedshewasinthehall，veryflushedandshy。Sheledhimtothefarend，andtheysatdownonawidewindow-seat。”I’vebeenawfullyanxious，”saidValinalowvoice。”What’sthematter?””Jollyknowsaboutourriding。””Ishein?”