and to produce in her a cheerful, loving, earnest co-operation
in the work of salutary reform. But how to begin? What first to say?
How to disarm her opposition in the outset? These were the questions
over which Ellis pondered. And the difficulty loomed up larger and
larger the nearer he approached it. He felt too serious; and was
conscious of this.

Unhappily, Cara's brow was somewhat clouded. Ellis approached her with
attempts at cheerful conversation; but she was not in the mood to feel
interested in any of the topics he introduced. The tea hour passed with
little of favourable promise. The toast was badly made, and the
chocolate not half boiled. Mrs. Ellis was annoyed, and scolded the
cook, in the presence of her husband, soundly; thus depriving him of
the little appetite with which he had come to the table. Gradually the
unhappy man felt his patience and forbearance leaving him; and more
than once he said to himself--

"It will be worse than useless to talk to her. She will throw back my
words upon me, in the beginning, as she has so often done before."

Tea over, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis returned with their children to the
sitting-room. The former felt an almost irrepressible desire for the
cigar, which habit had rendered so nearly indispensable; but he denied
himself the indulgence, lest Cara should make it the occasion of some
annoying remark. So he took up a newspaper, and occupied himself
therewith, until his wife had undressed and put their two oldest
children to bed. As she returned from the adjoining room, where they
slept, Ellis looked earnestly into her face, to see what hope there was
for him in its expression. Her lips were drawn closely together, her
brows slightly contracted, and her countenance had a fretful,
discontented expression. He sighed inwardly, and resumed the perusal of
his newspaper; or, rather, affected to resume it, for the words that
met his eyes conveyed to his mind no intelligible ideas.

Mrs. Ellis took her work-basket, and commenced sewing, while her
husband continued to hold the newspaper before his face. After some ten
minutes of silence, the latter made a remark, as a kind of feeler. This
was replied to with what sounded more like a grunt than a vocal
expression.

"Cara," at length said Ellis, forcing himself to the unpleasant work on
hand, "I would like to have a little plain talk with you about my
affairs." He tried, in saying this, to seem not to be very serious; but
his feeli