The man roused himself, turned his chair a little, and looked
towards the open door.

'Come here, Amy.'

His wife approached. It was not quite dark in the room, for a
glimmer came from the opposite houses.

'What's the matter? Can't you do anything?'

'I haven't written a word to-day. At this rate, one goes crazy.
Come and sit by me a minute, dearest.'

'I'll get the lamp.'

'No; come and talk to me; we can understand each other better.'

'Nonsense; you have such morbid ideas. I can't bear to sit in the
gloom.'

At once she went away, and quickly reappeared with a
reading-lamp, which she placed on the square table in the middle
of the room.

'Draw down the blind, Edwin.'

She was a slender girl, but not very tall; her shoulders seemed
rather broad in proportion to her waist and the part of her
figure below it. The hue of her hair was ruddy gold; loosely