Man sighs in marble by E. Nesbet.

Although every word of this story is as true as despair, I do not expect people to believe it.

Nowadays a rational explanation is required before belief is possible.

Let me then at once offer the irrational explanation which finds most favour among those who have heard

the tale of my life's tragedy. It is held that we were

under a delusion, Laura and I, on that 31st of October and that this supposition places the whole matter on a satisfactory

and believable basis. The reader can judge when he too has heard my story how far this is an explanation and in what sense it is rational.

There were three who took part in this,

Laura and I and another man.

The other man still lives and can speak to the truth of the least credible part of my story.

I never in my life knew what it was to have as much money as I required to supply the most ordinary needs, good colours, books, and cab fares.

And when we were married, we knew quite well that we should only be able to live at all

by strict punctuality and attention to business.

I used to paint in those days and Laura used to write and we felt sure we could keep the pot at least simmering.

Living in town was out of the question so we went to look for a cottage in the country

which should be at once sanitary and picturesque. So rarely do these two qualities meet in one

cottage that our search was for some time quite fruitless. We tried advertisements, but most of the desirable rural residences which we did look at proved

to be lacking in both essentials, and when a cottage chance to have drains, it always had stucco as well and was shaped like a tea-caddy.

And if we found a vine or rose-covered porch, corruption invariably lurked within. Our minds got so befogged by the

eloquence of house agents and the rival disadvantages of the fever traps and outrageous to beauty which we had seen and

scorned that I very much doubt whether either of us on our wedding morning

knew the difference between a house and a haystack. But when we got away from

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