ful expedients you are making a great mistake. You
make my task harder to me, Septimus, but you do not discourage me. You
know as well as I do--although you choose to affect the contrary--that
what I am saying does not relate to any existing circumstances, but
only to what may come about if you persist in neglecting your duty
to your family. I came into this room to ask you to exercise your
authority with your daughter Laetitia, or if not your authority--for she
is over twenty-one--your influence. But I see that I shall get no help.
It is, however, what I expected--no more and no less." And the skirts
rustle with an intention of getting up and going away injured.

Mrs. Wilson had a case against her husband, if not a strong one. His
ideas of the duties of a male parent were that he might incur paternity
of an indefinite number of sons and daughters, and discharge all his
obligations to them by providing their food and education. Having paid
quittance, he was at liberty to be absorbed in his books. Had his
payments been large enough to make his wife's administration of the
household easy, he might have been justified, especially as she, for
her part, was not disposed to allow him any voice in any matter.
Nevertheless, she castigated him frightfully at intervals for not
exercising an authority she was not prepared to permit. He was nothing
but a ninepin, set up to be knocked down, an Aunt Sally who was never
allowed to keep her pipe in her mouth for ten consecutive seconds. The
natural consequence of which was that his children despised him, but
to a certain extent loved him; while, on the other hand, they somewhat
disliked their mother, but (to a certain extent) respected her. It is
very hard on the historian and the dramatist that every one is not
quite good or quite bad. It would make their work so much easier. But
it would not be nearly so interesting, especially in the case of the
last-named.

The Professor may have had some feeling on these lines when he stopped
the skirts from rustling out of the apartment by a change in his
manner.

"Tell me seriously what you wish me to do, Roberta."

"I wish you to give attention, if not to the affairs--_that_ I cannot
expect--of your household, at least to this--you may call it foolish
and pooh-pooh it--business of Laetitia and this young man--I really
cannot say young gentleman, for it is mere equivocation not to call
him a haberdasher."

The Professor resisted the tempta