Bertha was disinclined to treat the matter lightly. “If you come in,” she said, “I shall go out.” “Oh no, you won’t!” he said, dragging a big chest of drawers in front of the door. Bertha got up and put on a yellow silk dressing-gown, which was really most becoming. “I’ll spend the night on the sofa then,” she said. “I don’t want to quarrel with you any more or to make a scene. I have written to Aunt Polly, and the day after to-morrow I shall go to London.” “I was going to suggest that a change of air would do you good. I think your nerves are a bit groggy.” “It’s very good of you to take an interest in my nerves,” she replied, with a scornful glance, settling herself on the sofa. “Are you really going to sleep there?” he said, getting into bed. “It looks like it.” “You’ll find it awfully cold. But I dare say you’ll think better of it in an hour. I’m going to turn the light out. Good-night!” Bertha did not answer, and in a few minutes she was angrily listening to his snores. Could he really be asleep? It was infamous that he slept so calmly. “Edward,” she called. There was no answer, but she could not bring herself to believe that he was sleeping. She could never even close her eyes. He must be pretending--to annoy her. She wanted to touch him, but feared that he would burst out laughing. She felt indeed horribly cold, and piled rugs and dresses over her. It required great fortitude not to sneak back to bed. She was unhappy and thirsty. Nothing is so disagreeable as the water in toilet-bottles, with the glass tasting of tooth-wash; but she gulped some down, though it almost made her sick, and then walked about the room, turning over her manifold wrongs. Edward slept on insufferably. She made a noise to wake him, but he did not stir; she knocked down a table with a clatter sufficient to disturb the dead, but her husband was insensible. Then she looked at the bed, wondering whether she dared lie down for an hour, and trust to waking before him. She was so cold that she determined to risk it, feeling certain that she would not sleep long; she walked to the bed. “Coming to bed after all?” said Edward, in a sleepy voice. She stopped, and her heart rose to her mouth. “I was coming for my pillow,” she replied indignantly, thanking her stars that he had not spoken a minute later. She returned to the sofa, and eventually making herself very comfortable, fell asleep. In this blissful condition she continued till the morning, and when she awoke Edward was drawing up the blinds. “Slept well?” he asked. “I haven’t slept a wink.” “Oh, what a crammer. I’ve been looking at you for the last hour!” “I’ve had my eyes closed for about ten minutes, if that’s what you mean.” Bertha was quite justly annoyed that her husband should have caught her napping soundly--it robbed her proceeding of half its effect. Moreover, Edward was as fresh as a bird, while she felt old and haggard, and hardly dared look at herself in the glass.