"There isn't a fire in the drawing-room." "I'll soon put a match to it, dear." "Then we'll let this fire out," said Marie, after a pause. Mrs. Amber hesitated, too. "It's quite right to be careful," she replied. "After all," said Marie, her irritation breaking out, too rebellious for all bonds, "I don't want it, mother. I'll only have to do the grate to-morrow; two grates instead of one. That's all. Such is life!" Mrs. Amber looked into the fire. "I'll tell you what," said she slowly. "You lie down on your bed. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. There's a gas fire there, and we'll have that." "There are such things as gas bills, too." "And a time to worry over them," said Mrs. Amber tartly; "but this isn't the time. You're going to be comfortable, and I'm going to make you so. You'll come along with me right now, my duck, and in five minutes you'll say what a wise old woman you've got for a mother." Suddenly Marie leaned upon her mother and obeyed. She was lying on her bed under the pink quilt, and Mrs. Amber had her hat and coat and walking-shoes off, and the gas fire began to purr, and a heavenly comfort visited her. She knew reluctantly that these matrons were horribly wise women, after all. She looked into her mother's eyes, and saw there the question which cried in her heart, but she could not read it. It was too old for her. Mrs. Amber said equably: "Now I'll run into the kitchen and find what I shall find, my dear. You're not to trouble yourself to think and tell me what; I was housekeeping before you were born. And meanwhile, if I were you, I'd undo my frock and take off my corsets and be really comfortable. You be a good girl, dear, and do as you're told just this once, to please your silly old mother." Docilely Marie sat up, unhooked her trim skirt-band, and unfastened her corsets. At once she felt lightened. _How_ wise these dreadful matrons were! She did more; she cast her skirt and blouse aside with the corsets, and when Mrs. Amber returned she found her lying rest fully under the eiderdown, untrammelled, in thin petticoat and camisole. "Eggs?" said Marie, craning her neck to look. "They were for Osborn's breakfast--two boiled eggs, mother." "Well, they're poached now, duck," said Mrs. Amber; "they've gone to glory. Let Osborn have bacon; there's half a dozen rashers in your larder." "He had bacon this morning." "Let him have it again," said the comfortable lady. "Julia's coming to dinner to-night," Marie confided to her mother. "Osborn's dining with Mr. Rokeby, but he's sending us both to the theatre. Isn't it kind of him?" Mrs. Amber nodded smilingly. "He hates me to be dull," said Marie. Again Mrs. Amber nodded smilingly; she thought what a make-believe world these young brides lived in, and then she sighed. All that afternoon she tended Marie, and gave her tea, and fulfilled her offer of setting the dinner forward before she went away, with the inquiry still in her heart. Marie was better.