"No: I won't let you rest. It's the only time I have to talk to you, and you SHALL hear me. I'm put upon all day long: it's very hard if I can't speak a word at night: besides, it isn't often I open my mouth, goodness knows. "Because ONCE in your lifetime your shirt wanted a button you must almost swear the roof off the house! "YOU DIDN'T SWEAR? "Ha, Mr. Caudle! you don't know what you do when you're in a passion. "YOU WERE NOT IN A PASSION? "Weren't you? Well, then, I don't know what a passion is--and I think I ought by this time. I've lived long enough with you, Mr. Caudle, to know that. "It's a pity you haven't something worse to complain of than a button off your shirt. If you'd SOME wives, you would, I know. I'm sure I'm never without a needle and thread in my hand. What with you and the children, I'm made a perfect slave of. And what's my thanks? Why, if once in your life a button's off your shirt--what do you cry 'OH' at?--I say once, Mr. Caudle; or twice, or three times, at most. I'm sure Caudle, no man's buttons in the world are better looked after than yours. I only wish I had kept the shirts you had when you were first married! I should like to know where were your buttons then? "Yes, it IS worth talking of! But that's how you always try to put me down. You fly into a rage, and then if I only try to speak you won't hear me. That's how you men always will have all the talk to yourselves: a poor woman isn't allowed to get a word in. "A nice notion you have of a wife, to suppose she's nothing to think of but her husband's buttons. A pretty notion, indeed, you have of marriage. Ha! if poor women only knew what they had to go through. What with buttons, and one thing and another! They'd never tie themselves up,--no, not to the best man in the world, I'm sure. "WHAT WOULD THEY DO, MR. CAUDLE? "Why, do much better without you, I'm certain. "And it's my belief, after all, that the button wasn't off the shirt; it's my belief that you pulled it off, that you might have something to talk about. Oh, you're aggravating enough, when you like, for anything! All I know is, it's very odd that the button should be off the shirt; for I'm sure no woman's a greater slave to her husband's buttons than I am. I only say, it's very odd. "However, there's one comfort; it can't last long. I'm worn to death with your temper, and sha'n't trouble you a great while. Ha, you may laugh! And I dare say you would laugh! I've no doubt of it! That's your love--that's your feeling! I know that I'm sinking every day, though I say nothing about it. And when I'm gone, we shall see how your second wife will look after your buttons. You'll find out the difference, then. Yes, Caudle, you'll think of me, then; for then, I hope, you'll never have a blessed button to your back. "No, I'm not a vindictive woman, Mr. Caudle; nobody ever called me that, but you. What do you say? "NOBODY EVER KNEW SO MUCH OF ME?