My poor darling, it is having to walk about so much that makes you hungry. But never mind. Sit down here, and I will climb on to your knee, and you shall take paper and pencil and draw me a beautiful, beautiful palace. ~The Man.~~ Ah, but my inspiration seems equally to be suffering from hunger; it cannot rise above pictures of eatables, and for a long while past I have been making my palaces look like pies filled with rich stuffing and my churches like pease-puddings. But I see tears in your eyes! What ails thee, little wife of mine? ~His Wife.~~ It hurts me so much to think that I can do nothing for you! ~The Man.~~ Is that it? Then am I filled with shame to think that I--I, a strong man, talented, educated, and in the prime of life--should sit here grumbling until I have seen my poor little wife--the good fairy of the legends--burst into tears! When a woman weeps it is a man's shame. I am overcome with remorse. ~His Wife.~~ But it is not _your_ fault that people do not appreciate you. ~The Man.~~ Nevertheless I blush to my ears. I feel that I deserve as sound a whipping as ever I received when I was a boy. To think that you too were hungry--as hungry as I am--and that I never noticed it! Oh, what a selfish egoist am I! It was shameful of me! ~His Wife.~~ My dearest one, I was not, I am not, hungry. ~The Man.~~ Oh, it was shameful and unmanly of me! The dandy who jostled me in the park did rightly, for he saw that it was a mere sensual pig that was passing him by--a wild boar of sharp tusks indeed, but most gross mind. ~His Wife.~~ If you go on scolding yourself so unjustly I shall weep again. ~The Man.~~ No, no, you must not weep. When I see tears in those pretty eyes I am seized with dread. Yes, I am afraid of those little crystal drops; for, whenever I behold them, I feel as though it were not you, but some stranger whom I know not, that were shedding them. No, you must not weep. We are poor, and have nothing, I know, but we can talk of what we shall surely have _some_ day, and I can tell you bright fairy tales, and wrap you round with shining fancies, my little queen. ~His Wife.~~ Ah, we have no cause to be afraid. You are too strong, and too great a genius, to be vanquished by life. The present time will pass away, and inspiration will once more spread its influence over your splendid head. [_The Man assumes a proud and daring attitude of challenge, and throws a sprig of oak towards the corner where stands the Being in Grey._] ~The Man.~~