Might it not be possible that the cheque having thus fallen into her husband's hands, he had come, after a while, to think that it had been sent to him by his friend, the dean?
And if it were so, would it be possible to make others so believe?
That there was some mistake which would be easily explained were her husband's mind lucid at all points, but which she could not explain because of the darkness of his mind, she was thoroughly convinced.

But were she herself to put forward such a defence on her husband's part, she would in doing so be driven to say that he was a lunatic,--that he was incapable of managing the affairs of himself or his family.

It seemed to her that she would be compelled to have him proved to be either a thief or a madman.

And yet she knew that he was neither.

That he was not a thief was as clear to her as the sun at noonday.