Tracey, in the interests of the lovers, continued to live in the cottage at Hampstead. Webb had let him the house furnished, and Luther made himself comfortable in a bachelor fashion. He cooked his own meals, and made his own bed, and kept the house as neat as a new pin. One day Gerty came to see him, accompanied by her mother. How she induced that lymphatic woman to come was a mystery. Tracey was not easily astonished, but he was fairly taken aback when he saw stout¹ Mrs. Baldwin being towed up the path by Gerty. It was like a breathless steam-tug conducting a three-decker out of port.  
"What I've suffered," said Mrs. Baldwin, sinking into a basket-chair which almost collapsed³ under her weight, "no one can understand."
 
"Oh come, mother," said Gerty cheerfully, "you had a cab to the top of the hill, and my arm to the door."
 
"You are nothing to lean upon," sighed Mrs. Baldwin. "If it was Rufus, now. He had an arm like a blacksmith, and the soul of a poet."
 
Tracey giggled⁴. He was amused by Mrs. Baldwin's whimsical ways. "Will you tell me what brought you here?" he asked, with his arm round Gerty.
 
"You may well ask that," said Mrs. Baldwin, fanning herself with her handkerchief; "and if you have such a thing as wine----"
 
"Only whisky--old Bourbon," snapped Luther, and supplied Mrs. Baldwin with a brimming glass in spite of her asseveration that she never took such strong drink. If not, she appreciated it, and finished the glass while talking.
 
"Gerty must tell you what I want," she said, nursing the glass.
 
Luther turned to his fiancée with an inquiring look. Something very strange must have occurred to bring Mrs. Baldwin so far.
 
"Mother is upset," said Gerty: "she fancies she saw her husband."
 
"My second," explained Mrs. Baldwin. "Not Gerty's father, who was a gentleman, but Rufus."
 
"The man with the blacksmith's arm and poet's soul," said Luther. "I thought he was dead and buried long ago."
 
"No," said the old lady. "I have never seen any announcement of his death. He is alive, and I saw him. Two nights ago I was reclining in the parlour, trying to soothe⁵ my nerves with a novel. Rufus appeared at the window, which was open, the night being warm. I shrieked⁶ aloud at the sight of his face. He ran away," finished Mrs. Baldwin, sighing.
 
"Didn't you light out after him?"
 
"I went out to rebuke⁷ him for his desertion of the twins. But he was gone like a dream. I have come to you to ask if you will advertise for Rufus. Assure him that all will be forgotten."
 
"Is there anything to forget?" asked Gerty.
 
Mrs. Baldwin suddenly sat up with energy, and her eyes glittered. No one would have thought that she possessed⁸ such spirit. "Yes," she said, in a hard voice, "there is much to forget. Rufus treated me like a brute⁹. He always was a brute."
 
"Then why do you wish to forgive him?"
 
"Because I do," said Mrs. Baldwin doggedly¹⁰.
 
"Were I you," said Luther, after a pause, "I would leave the cuss alone. Think of your children."
 
"I want him back," said Mrs. Baldwin, and softened¹¹ her tone. "All will be forgiven and forgotten."
 
But, even as she said this, Tracey saw a nasty glitter in her eye. He was not so sure that Mrs. Baldwin was actuated by Christian¹² intentions in wanting her lost husband back. In spite of her apparent good-nature, she was petty and spiteful. It might be, that she wished her husband back to make things hot for him. "Tell me really why you wish him to return?" said Luther.
 
Mrs. Baldwin breathed hard, and looked at her daughter. "Send Gerty out of the room," she said suddenly, and forthwith this was done. When alone with Tracey, who was more puzzled than ever, Mrs. Baldwin again became energetic. "There was a diamond necklace," she said.
 
"Ah," replied the American, whistling; "I see, Rufus nabbed it?"
 
Mrs. Baldwin took no notice. "I want my necklace back," she said; "it was given to me by Gerty's father, and I intend to present her with it on her wedding-day. You are to marry her, Mr. Tracey; so if you want Gerty to look a lady, as she always is, you will catch Rufus, and make him give up the necklace."
 
Tracey smiled, and shook his head. "It's not to be done, Mrs. Baldwin. Your husband's been gone for years, and the necklace has long ago been sold. Besides, you would have to prosecute¹³ him. Think of the children, ma'am."
 
"I want back my diamond necklace," said Mrs. Baldwin, who was like a very obstinate¹⁴ child. "Oh, how I hated that man!" In her rage she forgot her pretended weakness. "Mr. Tracey," she rose to her feet in a kind of cold fury, worthy¹⁵ of Mrs. Fane, "Rufus was a brute. Why I married him I don't know. He said he had money, and he hadn't. I found out that at one time he had been in gaol¹⁶ for burglary. No wonder he took my diamond necklace. I want him caught and punished. I have always spoken well of him all these years for the children's sake, but I have never forgotten his brutal¹⁷ ways, Mr. Tracey." In real earnest, she laid her fat hand on his arm. "That man struck me. He spent my money; he made love to the servants. He was all that was bad--a thief, a liar¹⁸, a profligate¹⁹, a----"
 
"That's all right," said Luther soothingly²⁰, and led her back to her seat, where she sat and sobbed²¹. "The man was a bad egg. In that case let him alone, for the children's sake. Can he touch your money?"
 
"No. Gerty's father left it all in my own name. I am free of him in every way."
 
"Then you let him alone. He has deserted²² you for over seven years, so he can't come back to make things unpleasant, and----"
 
"Let him come," said Mrs. Baldwin viciously. "I want him to come. I'll make things unpleasant for him--the brute."
 
"But you never said anything of this before, ma'am?"
 
"No," replied the woman heavily. "Because he passed out of my memory, so to speak. But when I saw his face at the window, it all came back to me--all--all. I want him caught and punished;" she caught Tracey's arm. "He is a burglar, mind, and he may break into my house and kill me. You don't know what a scoundrel he is."
 
"Yet you always gave us to understand that he was a good sort."
 
"For the children's sake. That's why I sent Gerty out of the room. I don't want her to know, although he is no kith or kin² of hers."
 
"Then you leave things as they are, ma'am, for the children's sake."
 
"No," said Mrs. Baldwin, between her teeth. "If I catch him, and the law won't punish him, I'll do so myself. I'll keep a pistol by me. I'll shoot him if he attempts to enter my house! Yes, I will."
 
"Tracey was amazed at the change in the woman. The lazy, good-natured creature he knew was gone, and in her place stood a woman as vindictive²³ as the adventuress of an Adelphi drama. He asked for a description of Rufus Baldwin, but by this time Mrs. Baldwin had changed her mind.
 
"No, I shan't tell you any more," she said quietly. "You forget what I have said. Don't advertise. The law won't punish him, and I dare say my diamond necklace has gone to pieces by this time. I'll keep a pistol beside me, and shoot him if he comes."
 
"No! no! He won't come again."
 
"Yes he will. He came the other night. I saw him at the window. I cried out at the sight of his wicked face. But I won't scare him away next time. No, I'll wait and let him come near me, then I'll kill him. That's what I'll do," and then she began gradually to relapse into the lazy woman who had entered. "How hot it is."
 
In compliance²⁴ with her request Tracey went out to call Gerty. He was astonished by the sudden changes in Mrs. Baldwin's demeanour, and asked Gerty a question. "Say, does your momma drink?"
 
"No. Certainly not, Luther. Why do you ask?"
 
"Well, she's that queer."
 
"Something has upset her, I know," said Gerty quickly; "what is it?"
 
Mrs. Baldwin appeared at the door and answered that question. "Don't tell her," she said sharply. "Gerty dear, you are too inquisitive²⁵. I am upset by the appearance of Rufus--that's all."
 
"Is Luther to advertise?" asked Gerty, wondering.
 
"No," Mrs. Baldwin walked to the gate, "I have a better way than that--a much better way," and she opened the gate.
 
"Say," Tracey detained Gerty, "do you sleep in your mother's room?"

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