Downe descended, but being encumbered with his bag and umbrella, his foot slipped, and he fell upon his knees in the gutter.
'O, my dear Charles!' said his wife, running down the steps; and, quite ignoring the presence of Barnet, she seized hold of her husband, pulled him to his feet, and kissed him, exclaiming, 'I hope you are not hurt, darling!' The children crowded round, chiming in piteously, 'Poor papa!' 'He's all right,' said Barnet, perceiving that Downe was only a little muddy, and looking more at the wife than at the husband.

Almost at any other time--certainly during his fastidious bachelor years--he would have thought her a too demonstrative woman; but those recent circumstances of his own life to which he had just alluded made Mrs.Downe's solicitude so affecting that his eye grew damp as he witnessed it.

Bidding the lawyer and his family good-night he left them, and drove slowly into the main street towards his own house.
The heart of Barnet was sufficiently impressionable to be influenced by Downe's parting prophecy that he might not be so unwelcome home as he imagined: the dreary night might, at least on this one occasion, make Downe's forecast true.

Hence it was in a suspense that he could hardly have believed possible that he halted at his door.

On entering his wife was nowhere to be seen, and he inquired for her.