few days later he got the proof-sheets of
Reinhard's novel from the trunk, where they had been lying neglected,
and worked diligently on the foolish sketches required by the text to
illustrate the hero and heroine in their "tense" moments. He finished
the job before they left Paris in March, which was his male way of
acknowledging the new obligation that was on its way.

Milly thought there might be something in Marion Reddon's ideas about
men, after all.

VI

THE CHILD

After much debate Milly resolved to take a leaf from Marion Reddon's
philosophy and not let her "condition" make any difference in her
husband's plans; they should not give up the trip to Italy because of
possible dangers or discomforts to her. So they went to Florence and
afterwards to Rome, where the Reddons, having miraculously procured the
price of the railroad tickets at the last moment, joined them and gave
them lessons in how to see Europe as the Europeans see it. After a short
visit to Venice, the two families settled for the summer in a quiet
little village of the Austrian Tyrol, where the men tried to work, but
for the most part climbed mountains and drank beer instead. Then in
September they were back in Paris; the Reddons, who had exhausted all
their resources, went home to America for the year's grind in the
technical school; and the Bragdons settled in a small house in Neuilly.
And there early in October Milly's little girl came safely into the
world.

The small brick house with its scrap of garden and gravelled drive
proved to be the pleasantest of Milly's European experiences. It was the
most regularly domestic thing they did. The artist still went to the
school in the mornings, but worked at home in the afternoons. Milly
convalesced healthily and was properly absorbed in her baby and her
house, so that she did not feel lonely during her husband's absences in
Paris. Now that the child had got into the world, after all her fears
and forebodings, Milly was surprised at the naturalness of the event. As
Marion Reddon had said, it really simplified life. First consideration
must always be the Baby. Mdle. Virginia, as she was called after Milly's
mother, could do so little in this world at present that its parents'
ambitions were necessarily curbed. Milly was an admirably devoted
mother. She had always liked babies since she was a very little girl,
and she became wholly wrapped up in her own human venture. The summer
while the