When night came on, Juan and Ramona took their supper like a couple of princes in their little dining‐room, and soon after laid them down in their beautiful bed. They both slept well, particularly Juan, who stirred neither hand nor foot the whole night through. Ramona began to find fault the very next day, and Juan noticed that every night her sleep was more disturbed. “Woman, what the devil is the matter with you, that all night long you are twisting like a reel?” asked Juan, one morning. “Why, there are no fleas here as there were in the stable.” “Fleas hinder my sleep very little.” “Well, then, what hinders it, woman?” “What hinders it? Your stupidity in asking the emperor so little hinders it.” “In the name of the Father, and of the Son!... And you still think it little that I have asked, and he granted us?” “Yes, indeed I do. This little house is so small that one can scarcely turn in it; and if to‐morrow or some other day we have children, what shall we do with them in a hut like this?” “Say what you like about it, there is no help for it now.” “Perhaps there may be.” “And how, I should like to know?” “Going back and seeing his majesty, and telling him to give us a larger house, of course.” “Go to Jericho, woman. You don’t catch me going on an errand of that kind!” “Well, go you shall, then; or we’ll see who is master here.” “But, wife, don’t you see that my very face would drop from me with shame?” “Now, that’s enough of talk on the matter. All you have to do is, run along to the palace as fast as you can, if you care to have a quiet time of it.” “Well, well; since you wish it, I’ll go.” Juan, who did not possess an ounce of will of his own—a thing which is the greatest misfortune that can befall a husband who is not blessed with such a wife as God ordained for him—set out once more on his road towards the palace of the emperor. “Indeed,” said he to himself, with more fear than shame, “it is very possible he will send me down‐stairs head foremost, because it is only natural that this abuse of his good‐nature will prove too much, even for him. And it will serve me right for my unfortunate weakness of character.” Juan’s fears were not realized. So soon as he sought an audience with his majesty it was granted, and the emperor asked him, with a smiling face: “How goes it at the little white house?” “Not badly, sire!” “And your wife, how does she find herself there?” “Not badly, sire, but your majesty knows what the women are. Give ’em an inch, they’ll take an ell. My wife, under present circumstances, hasn’t a flaw in her; but she says that, if to‐morrow or the day after we have youngsters, we shall all be crowded there like bees in a bottle.” “You are right. So she wants, of course, a house a little larger?” “You’ve just hit it, sire!”