‘Tell what, and to whom?’ he asked.

‘No, no, no,’ said Nora.

‘Then I must tell him myself,’ said she, ’that is all.  As for standing this kind of life, it is out of the question.  I should either destroy myself or go mad.’

‘If I could do any good I should be so happy,’ said Stanbury.

‘Nobody can do any good between a man and wife,’ said Nora.

Then Mrs Trevelyan began to tell her story, putting aside, with an impatient motion of her hands, the efforts which her sister made to stop her.  She was very angry, and as she told it, standing up, all trace of sobbing soon disappeared from her voice.  ’The fact is,’ she said, ’he does not know his own mind, or what to fear or what not to fear.  He told me that I was never to see Colonel Osborne again.

‘What is the use, Emily, of your repeating that to Mr Stanbury?’

’Why should I not repeat it?  Colonel Osborne is papa’s oldest friend, and mine too.  He is a man I like very much, who is a real friend to me.  As he is old enough to be my father, one would have thought that my husband could have found no objection.’

‘I don’t know much about his age,’ said Stanbury.

’It does make a difference.  It must make a difference.  I should not think of becoming so intimate with a younger man.  But, however, when my husband told me that I was to see him no more, though the insult nearly killed me, I determined to obey him.  An order was given that Colonel Osborne should not be admitted.  You may imagine how painful it was; but it was given, and I was prepared to bear it.’

‘But he had been lunching with you on that Sunday.’

’Yes; that is just it.  As soon as it was given Louis would rescind it, because he was ashamed of what he had done.  He was so jealous that he did not want me to see the man; and yet he was so afraid that it should be known that he ordered me to see him.  He ordered him into the house at last, and I—­I went away upstairs.’

‘That was on the Sunday that we met you in the park?’ asked Stanbury.

‘What is the use of going back to all that?’ said Nora.

‘Then I met him by chance in the park,’ continued Mrs Trevelyan, ’and because he said a word which I knew would anger my husband, I left him abruptly.  Since that my husband has begged that things might go on as they were before.  He could not bear that Colonel Osborne himself should think that he was jealous.  Well; I gave way, and the man has been here as before.  And now there has been a scene which has been disgraceful to us all.  I cannot stand it, and I won’t.  If he does not behave himself with more manliness I will leave him.’

‘But what can I do?’

‘Nothing, Mr Stanbury,’ said Nora.