288 The Wife of Seven Husbands : [ Marcu, 
«« What is it?” she replied. He took it to her bedside.’ “ That,” 
she continued, “ is a weight from the sleeve of my gown; I cut it out 
last night, to put in asmaller, for I find it too heavy.” 
Martyn laid it down, and presently left the room. It was some time 
before his wife joined him below stairs, and when she did at last come, 
her eyes looked so swollen and red, that Martyn was pretty sure she had 
been weeping ; he said nothing about it, however, but in a few minutes 
rose, and took down his cap, and said, “ I am bidden forth to dinner 
again to-day, Alice.” ‘ Good bye then, Martyn, good bye,” was all her 
answer, and that was said in a low, very solemn, and yet kind tone of 
voice. He lingered in the room for a moment or two, in the hope she 
would say something more to him, for he felt less inclined to pursue his 
fraud that day than he had ever felt before ; perhaps it was from a return 
of love he felt this, perhaps from fear—she said, however, nothing more, 
indeed, did not seem to notice his presence; so after saying, “ Well, 
good bye, Alice,’ he withdrew. He went at once to his next door 
neighbours, and requested them to hold themselves in readiness, in case 
he should want for their assistance in the night, for he had some idea, 
he said, that there would be an attempt to rob, or perhaps to murder 
him that night. This greatly alarmed his neighbours, and they. pro- 
mised to do what he requested, and the moment he had left them they 
sent for a reinforcement of their friends, and also begged of the fitting 
authorities that there might be an additional watch set in their neigh- 
bourhood that night. 
Lessomour returned earlier by some hours than usual, and to his 
wonder, found his door was not fastened within. He entered, and called, 
but no one answered—he fastened the door, and went up to his bed- 
room, where he found his wife already in bed, and seemingly fast 
asleep :—this was the first time she had not sat up for him. He made a 
great noise, overturning stools and boxes, and sundry other things, and 
then cursing at them, after the manner of drunken men—but his wife 
still seemed to sleep soundly ; he spake to her, but she made no answer. 
Really believing she was asleep, he ‘got into bed, and pretended him- 
self to sleep, and to snore—still she lay quiet. For two hours after he 
got into bed she never moved ; but then she quickly but silently slipped 
from the bed, hurried, but still without noise, to a stool near the fire, 
took from under one of the cushions a small iron ladle, and, what 
Martyn knew again for the leaden weight he had seen in the morning 
'—this she put into the ladle, and kneeling upon one knee, set it upon 
the fire ; in about a minute she turned her face to the bed, and then 
raised it up, and Martyn saw that though her features were frightfully 
writhen with bad passions, there were tears in her eyes that bespoke an 
inward struggle. She rose notwithstanding, and whispered—“« Now— 
no flinching ”—and walked up to the bed, with the ladle containing 
the molten lead in her right hand ; and just as she brought this forward 
so as to pour it into her husband’s ear, he started up with a loud outcry, 
seized her hand, and jumped out of bed, at the same time saying, “ Shame- 
less assassin! have I caught thee? -Help, ho! help, neighbours! Help 
—murder!” Alice did not scream—nor start even—but stared in her 
‘husband’s face, and with a strong effort freed her hand, flung the ladle 
into the fire, sank on a stool behind her, and hid her face in her hands. 
Lessomour continued calling for help, which call his neighbours, to 
do them justice, were not slow to obey—but to the number of two score 
and odd, well armed, they forced the outer door, and were hastening u 
