Fiction > Book editions > London, 1889 - Master of Ballantrae

THE MASTEU'S SECOND ABSENCE. 171
he was on terms of division with his wife ; upon his
recovery, all was chang-ed, the past forgotten, the wife
first and even single in his thoughts. He turned to
her with all his emotions, like a child to its mother,
and seemed secure of sympathy; called her in all his
needs with something of that querulous familiarity that
marks a certainty of indulgence ; and I must say, in
justice to the woman, he was never disappointed. To
her, indeed, this changed hehaviour was inexpressibly
affecting ; and I think she felt it secretly as a reproach ;
so that I have seen her, in early days, escaj)e out of the
room that she might indulge herself in weeping. But
to me the change appeared not natural ; and viewing it
along with all the rest, I began to wonder, with many
head-shakings, whether his reason were perfectly erect.
As this doubt stretched over many years, endured
indeed until my master's death, and clouded all our
subsequent relations, 1 may well consider of it more at
large. When he was able to resume some charge of
his affairs, I had many opportunities to try him with
precision. There was no lack of understanding, nor yet
of authority ; but the old continuous interest had quite
departed ; he grew readily fatigued, and fell to yawning j
and he carried into money r^-lation?, where it is certainly
out of place, a facility that bordered upon slackness.
True, since we had no longer the exactions of the Master
to contend against, there was the less occasion to raise
strictness into principle or do battle for a farthing. True,