satisfaction to her. But the sage still remained faithful to
the pipe, the cloak, and the red silk umbrella. Mrs. Riccabocca had (to
her credit be it spoken) used all becoming and wife-like arts against
these three remnants of the old bachelor, Adam, but in vain. "Anima
mia," [Soul of mine]--said the doctor, tenderly, "I hold the cloak, the
umbrella, and the pipe as the sole relics that remain to me of my native
country. Respect and spare them."

Mrs. Riccabocca was touched, and had the good sense to perceive that
man, let him be ever so much married, retains certain signs of his
ancient independence,--certain tokens of his old identity, which a wife,
the most despotic, will do well to concede. She conceded the cloak,
she submitted to the umbrella, she overcame her abhorrence of the pipe.
After all, considering the natural villany of our sex, she confessed to
herself that she might have been worse off. But through all the calm
and cheerfulness of Riccabocca, a nervous perturbation was sufficiently
perceptible; it commenced after the second week of marriage; it went on
increasing, till one bright sunny afternoon, as he was standing on his
terrace, gazing down upon the road, at which Jackeymo was placed, lo, a
stage-coach stopped! The doctor made a bound, and put both hands to his
heart as if he had been shot; he then leaped over the balustrade, and
his wife from her window beheld him flying down the hill, with his long
hair streaming in the wind, till the trees hid him from her sight.

"Ah," thought she, with a natural pang of conjugal jealousy, "henceforth
I am only second in his home. He has gone to welcome his child!" And at
that reflection Mrs. Riccabocca shed tears.

But so naturally amiable was she, that she hastened to curb her emotion,
and efface as well as she could the trace of a stepmother's grief. When
this was done, and a silent, self-rebuking prayer murmured over, the
good woman descended the stairs with alacrity, and summoning up her best
smiles, emerged on the terrace.

She was repaid; for scarcely had she come into the open air, when two
little arms were thrown around her, and the sweetest voice that ever
came from a child's lips sighed out in broken English, "Good mamma, love
me a little."

"Love you? with my whole heart!" cried the stepmother, with all a
mother's honest passion. And she clasped the child to her breast.

"God bless you, my wife!" said Riccabocca, in a husky tone.

"Please take t