Mrs. Saskabasquia laughed in her turn, and I began to perceive what
a very pretty girl she must have been once, and her accent was the
purest, most beautiful English. We seemed to warm up generally
around the table as we watched the Bishop eat. The boys behaved
beautifully and enjoyed their meal as well. Presently we heard a
baby crying. It was evidently the youngest of the seven young
Saskabasquians. The Bishop stopped directly.

"Go on, go on with your dinner, my dear; I'll see to him, its only
James. Dropped his rattle and put his finger in his eye, I expect."

He jumped up and went, I suppose, to the stateroom. Mrs.
Saskabasquia laughed softly, and when she spoke she rather addressed
herself to me.

"My husband is very good, you know. And James is such a little monkey,
and so much better with him than with anyone else, so I just let him
go, but it does certainly look very selfish, doesn't it?"

"Not at all," I responded gallantly. "I am sure you need the rest
quite as much as he does, particularly if the ba--if the little boy
is very young and you--that is--" I was not very clear as to what I
was going to say, but she took it up for me.

"Oh, James is the baby. He is just six months' old, you know."

"That is very young to travel," said I. I began to enjoy the
charming confidences of Mrs. Saskabasquia, in spite of myself.

"Oh, he was only _three_ months old when we left for England, quite