And yet somehow on that particular night, whether it may have been the slight excitement produced by my little adventure or not I know not, but I slept much more lightly than usual.
Half in my dreams I was dimly conscious that something was going on in the room, and gradually became aware that my wife had dressed herself and was slipping on her mantle and her bonnet.
My lips were parted to murmur out some sleepy words of surprise or remonstrance at this untimely preparation, when suddenly my half-opened eyes fell upon her face, illuminated by the candle-light, and astonishment held me dumb.
She wore an expression such as I had never seen before-such as I should have thought her incapable of assuming.
She was deadly pale and breathing fast, glancing furtively towards the bed as she fastened her mantle, to see if she had disturbed me.
Then, thinking that I was still asleep, she slipped noiselessly from the room, and an instant later I heard a sharp creaking which could only come from the hinges of the front door.
I sat up in bed and rapped my knuckles against the rail to make certain that I was truly awake.
Then I took my watch from under the pillow.
It was three in the morning.
What on this earth could my wife be doing out on the country road at three in the morning?