Thus, although she had often told Harry she could keep house, he had smiled, pinched her cheek, and told her she did not realize the difference between keeping house in France and doing so in America, with a newly imported Bridget for _aide de cuisine_, and as Molly did not like to boast, she had to let him keep his own opinion. But oh, how she longed to show him what unknown resources lay within her! And now the chance was hers. After the first joyful hour, she behaved very soberly. She would take as a matter of course all Harry’s misgivings as to the commissariat department, for I am sorry to say Harry Bishop, although a Harvard graduate, and a fairly intellectual young man, did think a great deal of the enjoyment of life consisted in a good table, by which he meant not good food only, but good cooking and dainty service, and how they were to have this on $100 per month he could not see, unless his income were all spent for servants and food. When he told this to Molly she said: “No, I propose that we keep house, and spend exactly what we do for this one room and our board; that is, $80 per month. It must be divided in this way: $20 for rent (we must never go beyond that), $12 for servant, and $10 a week for housekeeping; that is, $77 a month. The three remaining dollars, with the four or five we now spend for car fare, will buy your commutation ticket.” “$10 a week for housekeeping! I am afraid you’ll find that will make a poor show, little wife,” he said caressingly. “I shall think we are happy and fortunate, if the $20 we now allow for our clothes and outside expenses will cover the deficit at the end of the month.” “You’ll see $10 is enough.” He laughed good-humoredly. “I guess, Pussy, we shall both see things grow ‘small by degrees and beautifully less,’ toward the end of each month.” “We’ll hope not,” said Molly meekly, for now that she hoped her hour of trial and triumph was coming, she could afford to let him anticipate evil. CHAPTER II. AT HOME. ON the 1st of September our young couple took possession of their new house. It was a small house, or rather cottage, in the fashionable New Jersey town of Greenfield, and contained a dining-room, sitting-room and kitchen on the first floor, and four rooms above arranged as bed-room, guest-room, servants’ room and sewing-room. It was as slightly built as a house could be, probably, yet in better taste than most houses of its class, and Mrs. Winfield’s taste in furnishing was excellent, so that even Harry’s fastidious eye was satisfied. As for Molly, she spent her first hour in the house promenading from room to room, such a luxurious idea of freedom and space did that small house give her. “Think, Harry! We can actually change rooms when we like.” “Poor little Molly, I did not know that you had hated boarding so, or I should not have refused to try this experiment long ago. I did it for your sake.”