at Marie's face; and he liked to think: "Yes, you admire her, don't
you? That little girl you're with--you're taking her out and spending
your money on her and making an ass of yourself, and she don't care
tuppence for you. But this beautiful woman I'm taking out is my wife,
and she loves me."

Osborn was led, dazzled, into labyrinthine shops; he stood with Marie
before long counters, while she inspected fine fabrics and, drawing
off her glove, felt them critically with her fine hand. He watched her
eagerly and devotedly, as if he read the concentration of her
thoughts, and he imagined the thoughts to be these:

"Is this soft enough for him? Is this delicate enough for my baby's
body? Nothing harsh shall touch my darling; he must have the best, and
the best is not good enough for him. We will buy the most beautiful
things in the world for my son."

And she ordered the lengths in a voice which cooed; she bought lawn
and flannel, and great skeins of wool, and lace fit for fairies; and
she sought, as if trying to remember the persecution of the purse, for
bargains in blue ribbon, but by that time Osborn was too exalted to
permit bargaining. He, too, was saying within himself:

"Shan't my boy have the best? When he's little and weak shan't I win
it for him? And when he's grown and strong, won't he win it for
himself, by Jove!"

He bought the blue ribbon.

They had spent one of the two pounds, and there seemed very little for