restless mind gradually adopted the fiction persistently held before him by
Mrs. Morrell that his wife was indeed a domestic little body, fond only of
her home and garden. As soon as he had hypnotized himself into the full
acceptance of this, he felt much happier, His uneasiness fell from him, and
he continued life with zest. If any one had told him that he was neglecting
Nan, he probably would have been surprised. They were busy; they met
amicably; there were no reproaches; they managed to get about and enjoy
things together quite a lot.

The basis for the latter illusion rested on the Sunday excursions and
picnics. Both the Keiths always attended them. There was invariably the
same crowd--the Morrells; Dick Blatchford, the contractor, and his fat,
coarse-grained, good-natured Irish wife; Calhoun Bennett; Ben Sansome:
Sally Warner, a dashing grass widow, whose unknown elderly husband seemed
to be always away "at the mines"; Teeny McFarlane, small, dainty, precise,
blond, exquisite, cool, with very self-possessed manners and decided ways,
but with the capacity for occasionally and with deliberation outdoing the
worst of them, about whom were whispered furtive things the rumour of which
died before her armoured front; her husband, a fat, jolly, round-faced,
somewhat pop-eyed man who adored her and was absolutely ignorant of one
side of her. These and a sprinkling of "fast" youths made the party.
Sometimes the celebrated Sam Brannan went along, loud, coarse, shrewd, bull
voiced, kindly when not crossed, unscrupulous, dictatorial, and
overbearing, They all got to know each other very well and to be very free
in one another's society,

The usual procedure was to drive in buggies, sometimes to the beach,
sometimes down the peninsula, starting rather early, and staying out all
day. Occasionally rather elaborate lunches were brought, with servants to
spread them; but the usual custom was to stop at one of the numerous road