MY HUSBAND'S EARNINGS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 93, 20 November 1869, Page 6

MY HUSBAND'S EARNINGS.

"Do you intend to subscribe Mr, Langshawe's winnings of last night to that estimable body?" asked Mrs. Bridgeman, biting her lips. "How kind the suggestion!" exclaimed Mrs.' Langshawe. " What a good' creature you are!" I did not think to do so, but now I certainly shall." ' " ° ' ; Eor five-and-twenty pounds ?" said Mrs. Bridgenian, with a terrible smile, *' no doubt ypu may be a lifqgoverness:" '" ' L **' * " Five-and-twenty pounds ! 1 ' cried Mrs. Langshawe, laughingly. " ' " The losses of Mr. !3ridgeman last night," remarked his wife • "he played with Mr. Langshawe, and ' I presume, as usual, the fortunate man gave you his winnings.'. 5 ' This was said in a cold, cutting tone,, sharp enough to sever every silver; tie of. female 1 friendship. ' > ' "My dear Mrs. Bridgeman, there must be some mistake. ' Joseph gave me his winnings, certainly, but they were only a sovereign. ' '" A ' sovereign !"." 'exclaimed Mrs. Bridgeman, contemptuously.' "And a^ — sixpence," added Mrs. Langshawe^ with her usual meekness. " And a sixpence I J^ sovereign and a sixpence! ' My dear," said Mrs ; Bridgeman, with* awakened sympathy, "you are" a" deceived' and injured woman." " " " v "'Do' you realjy think so ?" asked Mrg, Langshawe, unconscious of the calamity. ' " Mr. ' La^.gsKavre won five-andr i twenty pounds— l have secret " biit certain means of knowing — of poor innocent Bridgeman : fiye-and-twenty pounds', Madam ; and the crafty man make's his winnings a sovereign and a , ' — a— well, the effrontery of soiqe jieo:ple'l And had you no suspicion of your husbana's falsehqod? Why, that very sixpence — the, affected scrupulousness of the thing — would have made me doubt him. My love, I have seen more of^he marriage state than you, and t know that men are never so very particular, except when they mean to deceive us." " I'm sure I can't see why Joseph should misrepresent his winnings. I don'.t see the motive," said' the artless Mrs. Langshawe* I "Perhaps not, my love ; perhaps j not. How should you know what "he i does with all his money ? It's plain he has' some object in deceiving you," 1 was the charitable Opinion, expressed with more than sufficient force, "of Mrs. Blridgeman.' • "

"It would really seem so,'?, exclaimed ' Mrs., LangshaWe, s almost trembling at, her doubts. j "Be sure of it," said Mrs. Bridge[man; "you hav'nt a twentieth part of [his winning's, and" where they go' 15 ; '" Many pardons," cried Langshawe, who had suddenly opened the door ; "trust I break upon no ' secrets. How's Bridgeman ?" Mrs. Br^dgeman looked at one hand, then at the other, and with an' effort, said, h I' nope — that is, very well." ""Where 'are you going, love?", asked Langshawe, as his wife niov^d towards the door. " . ■ -- '- '' ".Entertain, M^s. Bridgeman for-^ minute 3 ;' "I'll 1 return directly," said Mrs.' LangsKawej' for she felt he* eyes filling with tears, as Bhe lookett. upon Joseph,' and thought, of. 'his duplicity, I^ie sovereign,, and; the; six-

pence. •' "'Brid[geman. yery well, eh?", said

Langshawe, in his easy, pleasant style. " All things considered, remarkably, well," answered Mrs. Bridgeman,. "Nothing * happened?" ' inquired Langshawe, struck by the serious manner" of the lady. "Eh ? bless me ! all right at home I hope-?— no domestic loss — iio' i; ' '" J "

"Some people, Mr. Langshawe, would pall it one. Mr. Bridgeman' s inccinie, though suffieifeiit for'alliPeasonaT)le enjoyments, is nardly adequate to the calls made upon it together with the constant good fortune of his bosom friends." " "* ''' "' ! ''*"•* * "Bridgeman plays now and then, to be sure,", said Langshawe, in a mollifying voice, but then he always wins.". ' ;; { Wins!" exclaimed" Mrs. bridgeman; "you know—^better than anybody , you' know — that last night he lost fiye-and-twenty" pounds." '" "Is if possible ?'? cried Langshawe. " Possible Ut echoed the lady? " Losing would seem a matter of certainty when he plays" with some people. It is as certain' for^ Mr? Bridgeman to lose as for Mr. Langshawe to win.'-' Jl Langshawe, hurt by 'the words, yet more by the piercing looks of Mrs. Bridgeman, resolved to clear himself of the odium "of constant success. "With this datermination, fir§t glancing •towards the door, he took the lady's hand. ' "My dear Mrs. Bz-idgeman, Urn sure you can keep a secret." The compliment at once disarmed Mrs. Bridgeman: she, too, looked towards the door, and then said, "1 can, Mr. Langshawe." "Then, between "ourselves, my dear Madam,'.' said Langshawe, in a soft

voice, "I never win." " Never win," Mr. Langshawe !" — "Never. '"' The truth is, Mary, — bless her ! — is such a rigid" economist in everything that poncerns herself — is so averse to laying out a shilling upon the smallest trinket, that I am compelled to use a little harmless deceit to induce her to commit the least expense."' "Then your winnings last night, Mr. Langshawe ?" " Quite apocryphal, I assure you — all what I may call," said L,angshav/c, " a conjugal fiction." "Mr. Langshawe," said Mrs. Bridgeman, with a subdued fierceness that made Joseph stare, —"a man may from' habit consider, liiniself justified in attempting 'the most unblushing fraud upon his own wile — habit goes far in all matters — but, Sir, that you should hold my common sense in so contemptuous a li»ht"

"My dear Madam, I protest," exclaimed Langshawe, poloming to the eyelids ; '" I protest that' I have the profoundest sense of V ' ! " Adds, Sir — adds to the meanness of your, first duplicity." You know that Mr. Bridgeman, your dear friend, as you are pleased to call him, last night lost five-and-twenty pounds." '"I vow I know nothing of the matter," said Joseph ; " and more, and worse than' all, that Mr. Langshawe was the winner."

" Now, my dear Mrs. Bridgeman," said Joseph, almost amused at the extravagance of the charge, he himself having" been a sufferer, — " it is very true '" that I spoke of winnings to Mary— l" Langshawe could say nothing. Eor the first time he regretted tha,t lie had ever appeared to his wife a winning man. " Mr. LangshaWe," exclaimed Mrs. Bridgeman, with n^ew energy " may I solicit of you one — a last favour ?'! "Twenty, my dear Mrs. Bridgeman," 'answered' the obliging Joseph. " One— one will suffice, Mr. Langshawe. Promise me never to play with' my unfortunate husband again. Heaven knowa what his losses may have been ! His poor wife knows nothing. But where there ar§ great winningSj there must consequently be • — you understand me, dear Mr. Langshawe?". and Mrs.' Bridgeman tried to forget her passion, and to smile Langshawe into acquiescence, ' " Poor Bridgeman," she added in a very equivocal tone", "Ms really' no match for you. You are — you" know you are — I teard it upon all hands — such an invincible player; whilst Bridgeman^ in tho vanity of his heart, thinks ' himself your equal. Now, do, pray take pity on his weakness — don't don't play with him ;" and Mrs. Bridgeman solicited the compassion of Langshawe, as she would have entreated the mercy of a highwayman : indeed, despite of the peculiarity of Joseph's winnings, he felt himself before Mrs. Bridgeman somewhat in the situation of a. pickpocket, " There is a fate about you," said Mrs. Bridgeman ; "as might be said of Macbeth, you bear ' charmed ' cards ; therefore, do spare my silly man — do spare "