ell," said Rokeby, rubbing his head, "I don't know, I'm sure, what
you or I can do. We'd better leave it all alone."

"If I hadn't spent everything I had in the bank only yesterday for a
new suit I'd send her a baby-carriage to-morrow. It'll be three weeks
before I've put by enough again."

"Don't rob yourself," said Rokeby quickly, with a softening face.
"Look here, let me know what happens, will you?"

"About the perambulator?"

"Ah!"

"Will you be fairy godfather, then?"

"If you'd like me to."

"Oh, I would! You--you--"

"What am I?"

"You dear!"

"'Rah! 'Rah!" cried Rokeby, "shake hands on that!" She laid in his
frankly a short and capable hand. "I'm not a 'him,' am I? Oh, say I'm
not."

"You're not--yet. You're a dear."

"Am now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

"Amen," said Julia, twinkling.

"Here are _peches melba_," said Rokeby, "women always like them.
I'm glad they're on our programme to-night."

"I adore them."

"You might try to remember, before we leave the subject," Rokeby
suggested, "that the prospects of these 'hims' aren't very rosy either
sometimes. You see it comes hard on a man, though doubtless he's a
black-hearted scoundrel to admit it, when he marries and has to
stretch an income, which was perfectly palmy in the bachelor days, to
meet the needs of two, or three, or however many it may ultimately
have to meet. He can't help a yelp now and then. It's a horrid sound,
but it relieves him. The only remedy I can suggest for the existing
state of affairs is that all wives of over a year's standing should
pack cotton wool in their ears. Eh? That's brains, isn't it? Kindly
applaud."

"'M ..." said Julia, tightening her lips.

"Osborn entered marriage with the most exalted expectations," Rokeby
went on.

"So did Marie."

"I assure you I never knew a chap more in love."

"Nor I a girl."

"Oh, chuck it!" begged Rokeby, laughing. "Do chuck it, will you? Then
you'll be a dear too. Look here, wouldn't you like to go on somewhere
after this? I can telephone from here for seats."

But she would not. So they lingered on for awhile, talking and smoking
over their coffee; and at last, when Julia looked across the room at
the clock over the big mirrors, she was astonished and half vexed to
find how much time had slipped by. Then she insisted on going, but
Rokeby insisted, too, upon his escort all the way home, and she did
not gainsay him. As he lifted her furs over her