“No! no!” protested she, with an eagerness that astonished me; “I cannot think of that. I must wait for the return of my husband.”
“Your husband!”
“Yes! yes! Mr Leary. He has gone to California; but I have reason to believe that he will soon be back.”
“Now that you have spoken of him,” said I, “please to tell me all about him; and how he has used you since I left home.”
“He has always been very kind to me,” she answered, “very kind indeed. He has gone to the diggings in California, where I have no doubt but what he will do well, and come back with plenty of money.”
“But I was told in Dublin that he deserted you there,” said I. “Was that very kind indeed?”
“It is true; he did leave me there; but the business was doing badly, and he couldn’t help going. I have no doubt but what he was sorry for it afterwards.”
“Then you followed him here, and lived with him again?”
“Yes; and we were very happy.”
“But I have been told by Mr Davis—whom you know—that he again deserted you here, and ran away to California with another woman. Is that true?”