"Regina," said Alfred, one evening when she came down to dinner wearing a bewitching little confection of silk and lace, which, if he had only known it, was called a coffee-coat, "my dear, are you still going to that doctor of yours?" "Yes." "How often?" "Once a week, or so." "I feel very anxious about you." "But why, when I'm so well?" "My dear girl, you are fading away, you are going to nothing, you are not as well covered as you were when we were married." "I am not skinny, Alfred!" said Regina, with dignity. "Skinny! God forbid! But where are you going to stop?" "In your heart, Alfred," said Regina, looking at him very sweetly. "But if you go on as you are at present, there won't be anything of you left to stop!" "Oh, you don't understand. I had so given myself up to public life that I had let myself grow fat and ungainly, and I despised things that all women should think much of. But I have seen the error of my ways--and I feel as gay as a bird, as light as air. I only wish, dearest, that you would pay a little more attention to yourself." "I? Dear, dear, dear! You don't mean to say that you want me to live on dog biscuits. I decline to do it, Regina, even to please you. I lead a busy life, although, thank God! I am able to make money. I often scamp my lunch--just taking anything that comes handy, but my good breakfast in the morning and my good dinner at night I insist upon having." "Oh, those good dinners!" said Regina, but she said it good-naturedly, and Alfred only laughed and began to serve the soup. "Now try a little of this, Palestine soup--your favorite." "No, not soup, dear." "Why punish yourself? You are as thin as a match already." "Dr. Money-Berry warned me against soups." "Well, this once? I bought something for you to-day. Now, to please me you must have a little of this." "Very well." "Your sins shall be upon my head," said Alfred. "No, I will take my sins on my own shoulders," said Regina. It was not until the maid had left them alone that she asked him what the present was that he had bought for her that day. "Ah, you wait till after dinner, old lady. I had the chance of buying something very nice at a quite reasonable price, and I took it, as I had to take it or leave it without any chance of consulting you. If you don't like it you can hand it over to one of the girls." "I shall like it," said Regina, and she asked no further questions. It was after dinner, when they had retired to the pleasant drawing-room, that Alfred brought forth his purchase. It was a rather flat parcel, looking like a rather large cardboard box done up in brown paper. With masculine pride Alfred snipped the string, undid the wrappings and brought to view the cardboard box that Regina had expected. Within were more wrappings of tissue paper, and these undone disclosed a large tippet or stole and a big muff of the order usually called "granny," made of the finest dark sables. "Alfred!" cried Regina, all in a flutter.