"'Come in, madam, do come in,' she said. 'Perhaps you think your good gentleman has gone home.'
"'I am sure he has,' I said. 'Can you get me a messenger? I will send a telegram at once and find out. If Mr. Mainwaring has gone home, he ought to have arrived by now.'
"My landlady was quite silent for a minute, then she said, gravely:--
"'Perhaps I ought to tell you that Mr. Mainwaring behaved in a very singular way before he left my house.'
"There was something in the woman's manner which impressed me even more than her words. I felt my heart beginning to sink. I followed her into the little sitting-room where my husband and I had spent some happy hours, and begged of her to explain herself.
"She did so without a moment's hesitation.
"'It all happened early this morning,' she said. 'I brought up breakfast as usual. Mr. Mainwaring was standing by one of the open windows.
"'I am going to town,' he said, 'by the express. I shall pack my things immediately. Bring me my bill.'
"'I was leaving the room to prepare it, when he shouted to me.'
"'How is it those things have got into the room?' he said. 'Take them away.'
"'Those woman's things,' he said, very crossly. 'That work-basket, and that white shawl.'
"'Why, sir,' I said, staring at him, 'those things belong to your good lady.'
"'He looked me full in the face and then burst out laughing.'
"'You must be mad,' he said; 'I dislike unseasonable jokes.'
"'He then went into his bedroom and slammed the door noisily behind him. Half an hour later he had paid the bill, ordered a cab, and gone off with his luggage. He left all your things behind him, madam. Mr. Mainwaring was collected and quiet enough, and seemed quite the gentleman except when he spoke of you; still I don't like the look of affairs at all.'
"I listened to my landlady," continued poor Mrs. Mainwaring, "while she told me this strange and most perplexing story. Then I glanced round the room for confirmation of her words. Yes, my husband and all his belongings had vanished, but my work-basket, my new hat, my mantle, my writing-case, and one or two little garments which I was making for the children, were still scattered about the drawing-room.
"I went into the bedroom and saw the clothes I had left behind me, flung into a heap in a corner of the room.