marriedtoUncleBertram，aren’tyou？’
　　Icertainlyam，mydear，’smiledBilly，tryingtospeakunconcernedly。
　　Well，then，whatmakesyouforgetit？’
　　Whatmakesmeforget——Why，child，whataquestion!Whatdoyoumean？Idon’tforgetit!’exclaimedBilly，indignantly。
　　Thenwhat_did_mothermean？IheardhertellUncleWilliammyself——shedidn’tknowI
　　heard，though——thatshedidwishyou’drememberyouwereUncleBertram’swifeaswellasCousinBertram’smother。’
　　Billyflushedscarlet，thengrewverywhite。
　　AtthatmomentMrs。Hartwellcameintotheroom。LittleKateturnedtriumphantly。
　　There，shehasn’tforgotten，andIknewshehadn’t，mother!Iaskedherjustnow，andshesaidshehadn’t。’
　　Hadn’twhat？’questionedMrs。Hartwell，lookingalittleapprehensivelyathersister-in-
　　law’swhitefaceandangryeyes。
　　Hadn’tforgottenthatshewasUncleBertram’swife。’
　　Kate，’interposedBilly，steadilymeetinghersister-in-law’sgaze，willyoubegoodenoughtotellmewhatthischildistalkingabout？’
　　Mrs。Hartwellsighed，andgaveanimpatientgesture。
　　Kate，I’veamindtotakeyouhomeonthenexttrain，’shesaidtoherdaughter。Runaway，now，down-stairs。YourAuntBillyandI
　　wanttotalk。Come，come，hurry!ImeanwhatIsay，’sheaddedwarningly，asshesawunmistakablesignsofrebelliononthesmallyoungface。
　　Iwish，’poutedlittleKate，risingreluctantly，andmovingtowardthedoor，thatyoudidn’talwayssendmeawayjustwhenIwantedmosttostay!’
　　Well，Kate？’promptedBilly，asthedoorclosedbehindthelittlegirl。
　　Yes，IsupposeI’llhavetosayitnow，aslongasthatchildhasputherfingerinthepie。
　　ButIhadn’tintendedtospeak，nomatterwhatIsaw。IpromisedmyselfIwouldn’t，beforeI
　　came。Iknow，ofcourse，howBertramandCyril，andWilliam，too，saythatI’malwaysinterferinginaffairsthatdon’tconcernme——though，forthatmatter，ifmyownbrother’saffairsdon’tconcernme，Idon’tknowwhoseshould!
　　But，asIsaid，Iwasn’tgoingtospeakthistime，nomatterwhatIsaw。AndIhaven’t——
　　excepttoWilliam，andCyril，andAuntHannah；
　　butIsupposesomewherelittleKategotholdofit。It’ssimplythis，Billy。Itseemstomeit’shightimeyoubegantorealizethatyou’reBertram’swifeaswellasthebaby’smother。’
　　That，Iam——Idon’tthinkIquiteunderstand，’
　　saidBilly，unsteadily。
　　No，Isupposeyoudon’t，’sighedKate，thoughwhereyoureyesare，Idon’tsee——or，rather，Idosee：they’reonthebaby，_always_。
　　It’sallverywellandlovely，Billy，tobeadevotedmother，andyoucertainlyarethat。I’llsaythatmuchforyou，andI’lladmitIneverthoughtyouwouldbe。But_can’t_youseewhatyou’redoingtoBertram？’
　　_DoingtoBertram!_——bybeingadevotedmothertohisson!’
　　Yes，doingtoBertram。Can’tyouseewhatachangethereisintheboy？Hedoesn’tactlikehimselfatall。He’srestlessandgloomyandentirelyoutofsorts。’
　　Yes，Iknow；butthat’shisarm，’pleadedBilly。Poorboy——he’ssotiredofit!’
　　Kateshookherheaddecisively。
　　It’smorethanhisarm，Billy。You’dseeityourselfifyouweren’tblindedbyyourabsorptioninthatbaby。WhereisBertrameveryevening？Whereishedaytimes？Doyourealizethathe’sbeenathomescarcelyoneeveningsinceIcame？Andasforthedays——he’salmostneverhere。’
　　But，Kate，hecan’tpaintnow，youknow，soofcoursehedoesn’tneedtostaysocloselyathome，’defendedBilly。Hegoesouttofinddistractionfromhimself。’
　　Yes，`distraction，’indeed，’sniffedKate。
　　Andwheredoyousupposehefindsit？Doyou_know_wherehefindsit？Itellyou，Billy，BertramHenshawisnotthesortofmanthatshouldfindtoomuch`distraction’outsidehishome。HistastesandhistemperamentarealtogethertooBohemian，and——’
　　Billyinterruptedwithaperemptorilyupraisedhand。
　　Pleaseremember，Kate，youarespeakingofmyhusbandtohiswife；andhiswifehasperfectconfidenceinhim，andisjustalittleparticularastowhatyousay。’
　　Yes；well，I’mspeakingofmybrother，too，whomIknowverywell，’shruggedKate。Allis，youmayremembersometimethatIwarnedyou——that’sall。Thistrustingbusinessisallverypretty；butIthink’twouldbealotprettier，andavastdealmoresensible，ifyou’dgivehimalittleattentionaswellastrust，andseeifyoucan’tkeephimathomeabitmore。Atleastyou’llknowwhomhe’swith，then。CyrilsayshesawhimlastweekwithBobSeaver。’
　　With——Bob——Seaver？’falteredBilly，changingcolor。
　　Yes。Iseeyourememberhim，’smiledKate，notquiteagreeably。Perhapsnowyou’lltakesomestockinwhatI’vesaid，andrememberit。’
　　I’llrememberit，certainly，’returnedBilly，alittleproudly。You’vesaidagoodmanythingstome，inthepast，Mrs。Hartwell，andI’verememberedthemall——everyone。’
　　ItwasKate’sturntoflush，andshedidit。
　　Yes，Iknow。AndIpresumeverylikelysometimesthere_hasn’t_beenmuchfoundationforwhatI’vesaid。Ithinkthistime，however，you’llfindthereis，’shefinished，withanairofhurtdignity。
　　Billymadenoreply，perhapsbecauseDelia，atthatmoment，broughtinthebaby。
　　Mrs。HartwellandlittleKatelefttheStratathenextmorning。UntilthenBillycontrivedtokeep，beforethem，acountenanceserene，andamannerfreefromunrest。Evenwhen，afterdinnerthatevening，Bertramputonhishatandcoatandwentout，Billyrefusedtomeethersister-
　　in-law’smeaninggaze。Butinthemorning，aftertheyhadleftthehouse，Billydidnotattempttodeceiveherself。Determinedly，then，shesetherselftogoingoverinhermindthepastmonthssincethebabycame；andshewasappalledatwhatshefound。Everinherears，too，wasthatfearedname，BobSeaver’；andeverbeforehereyeswasthatnightyearsagowhen，asaneighteen-year-oldgirl，shehadfollowedBertramandBobSeaverintoaglitteringcaf
　　ateleveno’clockatnight，becauseBertramhadbeendrinkingandwasnothimself。SherememberedBertram’sfacewhenhehadseenher，andwhathehadsaidwhenshebeggedhimtocomehome。Sheremembered，too，whatthefamilyhadsaidafterward。Butsheremembered，also，thatyearslaterBertramhadtoldherwhatthatescapadeofhershadreallydoneforhim，andthathebelievedhehadactuallylovedherfromthatmoment。Afterthatnight，atallevents，hehadhadlittletodowithBobSeaver。
　　AndnowSeaverwasbackagain，itseemed——
　　andwithBertram。Theyhadbeenseentogether。
　　Butiftheyhad，whatcouldshedo？Surelyshecouldhardlynowfollowthemintoapubliccaf
　　anddemandthatSeaverletherhusbandcomehome!Butshecouldkeephimathome，perhaps。
　　Billyquitebrightenedatthisthought。KatehadsaidthatshewassoabsorbedinBabythatherhusbandreceivednoattentionatall。Billydidnotbelievethiswastrue；butifitweretrue，shecouldatleastrectifythatmistake。Ifitwereattentionthathewanted——heshouldwantnomore。PoorBertram!Nowonderthathehadsoughtdistractionoutside!Whenonehadahorridbrokenarmthatwouldnotletonedoanything，whatelsecouldonedo？
　　JusthereBillysuddenlyrememberedthebook，ATalktoYoungWives。’Ifsherecollectedrightly，therewasachapterthatcoveredtheveryclaimKatehadbeenmaking。Billyhadnotthoughtofthebookformonths，butshewentatoncetogetitnow。Theremightbe，afterall，somethinginitthatwouldhelpher。
　　TheComingoftheFirstBaby。’Billyfoundthechapterwithoutdifficultyandsettledherselftoread，hercountenancealightwithinterest。Inasurprisinglyshorttime，however，anewexpressioncametoherface；andatlastalittlegaspofdismayfellfromherlips。Shelookedupthen，withastartledgaze。
　　_Had_herwallspossessedeyesandearsallthesepastmonths，onlytogiveinstructionstoanunseenhandthatitmightwritewhattheeyesandearshadlearned？Foritwassuchsentencesasthesethattheconscience-smittenBillyread：
　　Maternityisapttoworkamiracleinawoman’slife，butsometimesitspellsdisastersofarasdomesticblissisconcerned。Theyoungmother，wrappedupinthedelightsanddutiesofmotherhood，utterlyforgetsthatshehasahusband。
　　Shelivesandmovesandhasherbeinginthenursery。Shethinksbaby，talksbaby，knowsonlybaby。Sherefusestodressup，becauseitiseasiertotakecareofbabyinafrowzywrapper。
　　Shewillnotgooutwithherhusbandforfearsomethingmighthappentothebaby。Shegivesuphermusicbecausebabywon’tletherpractice。
　　Invainherhusbandtriestointerestherinhisownaffairs。Shehasneithereyesnorearsforhim，onlyforbaby。
　　Nownomanenjoyshavinghisnoseputoutofjoint，evenbyhisownchild。Heloveshischilddevotedly，andisproudofhim，ofcourse；
　　butthatdoesnotkeephimfromwantingthesocietyofhiswifeoccasionally，norfromlongingforherold-timeloveandsympatheticinterest。
　　Itisanadmirablething，certainly，forawomantobeadevotedmother；butmaternalaffectioncanbecarriedtoofar。Husbandshavesomerightsaswellasoffspring；andthewifewhoneglectsherhusbandforherbabiesdoessoatherperil。Home，withthewifeeternallyinthenursery，isapttobeadullandlonelythingtotheaveragehusband，sohestartsouttofindamusementforhimself——andhefindsit。Thenisthetimewhenthenewlittlelifethatissoprecious，andthatshouldhaveboundthetwomorecloselytogether，becomesthewedgethatdrivesthemapart。’
　　Billydidnotreadanymore。Withalittlesobbingcrysheflungthebookbackintoherdesk，andbegantopulloffherwrapper。Herfingersshook。AlreadyshesawherselfaMonster，aWickedDestroyerofDomesticBlisswithherthoughtlessabsorptioninBaby，untilhehadbecomethatAwfulThing——a_Wedge_。AndBertram——
　　poorBertram，withhisbrokenarm!Shehadnotplayedtohim，norsungtohim，norgoneoutwithhim。AndwhenhadtheyhadoneoftheirgoodlongtalksaboutBertram’sworkandplans？
　　Butitshouldallbechangednow。Shewouldplay，andsing，andgooutwithhim。Shewoulddressup，too。Heshouldseenomorewrappers。
　　Shewouldaskabouthiswork，andseeminterested。She_was_interested。Sherememberednow，thatjustbeforehewashurt，hehadtoldherofanewportrait，andofanewFaceofaGirl’thathehadplannedtodo。Latelyhehadsaidnothingaboutthese。Hehadseemeddiscouraged——andnowonder，withhisbrokenarm!
　　Butshewouldchangeallthat。Heshouldsee!
　　AndforthwithBillyhurriedtoherclosettopickoutherprettiesthousefrock。
　　LongbeforedinnerBillywasready，waitinginthedrawing-room。ShehadonaprettylittlebluesilkgownthatsheknewBertramliked，andshewatchedveryanxiouslyforBertramtocomeupthesteps。Sherememberednow，withapang，thathehadlongsincegivenuphispeculiarring；butshemeanttomeethimatthedoorjustthesame。
　　Bertram，however，didnotcome。Ataquarterbeforesixhetelephonedthathehadmetsomefriends，andwoulddineattheclub。
　　My，my，howprettyweare!’exclaimedUncleWilliam，whentheywentdowntodinnertogether。Newfrock？’
　　Why，no，UncleWilliam，’laughedBilly，alittletremulously。You’veseenitdozensoftimes!’
　　HaveI？’murmuredtheman。Idon’tseemtorememberit。ToobadBertramisn’theretoseeyou。Somehow，youlookunusuallyprettyto-night。’
　　AndBilly’sheartachedanew。
　　Billyspenttheeveningpracticing——softly，tobesure，soasnottowakeBaby——but_practicing_。
　　AsthedayspassedBillydiscoveredthatitwasmucheasiertosayshewouldchangethings’thanitwasreallytochangethem。Shechangedherself，itistrue——herclothes，herhabits，herwords，andherthoughts；butitwasmoredifficulttochangeBertram。Inthefirstplace，hewastheresolittle。Shewasdismayedwhenshesawhowverylittle，indeed，hewasathome——andshedidnotliketoaskhimoutrighttostay。Thatwasnotinaccordancewithherplans。Besides，theTalktoYoungWives’