He was gone suddenly into the night. With a tender smile on her lips Mrs. Dingley went on upon the errand which had brought her downstairs. "It's worth something to a woman to be able to make a man's heart ache like that," she said to herself with a little sigh. Anthony would not have understood, but even in this hour the older woman, in her wisdom, was envying Juliet. Morning came at last, as mornings do. With the first streaks of the gray dawn Anthony heard a little, high-keyed, strange cry--new to his ears. He leaped up the stairs, four at a time, and paused, breathless, by the closed door of the blue-and-white room. After what seemed to him an interminable time Mrs. Dingley came out. At sight of Anthony her face broke into smiles, and at the same moment tears filled her eyes. "It's a splendid boy, Tony," she said. "I meant to come to you the first minute, but I waited to be perfectly sure. He didn't breathe well at first." But Anthony pushed this news aside impatiently. "Juliet?" he questioned eagerly. "She's all right, you poor man," Mrs. Dingley assured him. "You shall see her presently, just for a minute. The first thing she said was, 'Tell Tony.' Go down now--I'll call you soon." Anthony stole away downstairs to the outer door again. This time he ran out upon the porch and down the lawn and orchard, in the early half-light, to the willow path by the brook. He dashed along this path to its end and back again, as if he must in some way give expression to his relief from the tension of the night. But he was back and waiting impatiently long before he received his summons to his wife's room. On his way up he wrung the friendly hand of Dr. Joseph Wilberforce, the best man in the city at times like these, and thanked him in a few uneven words. Then he came to the door of the blue-and-white room. "Don't be afraid, Tony," said a very sweet, clear voice; "we're ever so well--Anthony Robeson, Junior, and I." Anthony Robeson, Senior, walked across the room in a dim, gray fog which obscured nearly everything except the sight of a pair of eyes which were shining upon him brightly enough to penetrate any fog. At the bedside he dropped upon his knees. "I suppose I'm an awful chump," he murmured, "but nothing ever broke me up so in all my life." Juliet laughed. It was not a sentimental greeting, but she understood all it meant. "But I'm so happy, dear," she said. "Are you? Somehow I can't seem to be--yet. I'm too badly scared." "He's such a beautiful big boy." "I suppose I shall be devoted to him some time, but all I can think of now is to make sure I've got you." The pleasant-faced nurse in her white cap came softly in and glanced at Tony meaningly. "If you'll come in here you may see your son, Mr. Robeson," she said, and went out again. Anthony bent over his wife. "_Little mother_," he whispered, with a kiss, and obediently went. Across the hall he stood looking dazedly down at the round, warm bundle the nurse laid in his arms.