"I have, dear. But for that, I should not think of leaving you
alone."

Almost instinctively Mrs. Wilkinson withdrew the hands she had
placed upon the shoulder of her husband, and receded from him a step
or two; at the same time her face was bent downwards, and her eyes
rested upon the floor.

For some moments Mr. Wilkinson stood as if in earnest debate with
himself; then he said, in a cheerful, lively tone--

"Good-by, love. I shall only be gone half an hour." And turning
away, left the room. He did not pause until he was in the street.
Then a spirit of irresolution came over him, and he said to himself,
as he moved slowly away,

"It isn't kind in me to leave Mary alone in this way; I know it
isn't. But I want to see Elbridge; and, in fact, partly promised
that I would call upon him this evening. True, I can say all I wish
to say to him in the morning, and to quite as good purpose. But--"

Wilkinson, whose steps had been growing more and more deliberate,
stopped. For some time he stood, in a thoughtful attitude--then
slowly returned. His hand was in his pocket, his dead-latch key
between his fingers, and his foot upon the marble sill of his door.
And thus he remained, in debate with himself, for as long a time as
two or three minutes.

"Yes; I must see him! I had forgotten that," he exclaimed, in a low
tone, and suddenly stepped back from the door, and with a rapid pace