CHAPTER V. HARRY AND HIS WIFE.

—youthere,andIhere."And,openingthedoorofthebird-cage,whichhunginthelamarquerose-bush,"LittleButtonshallcome,too." Button,abrightyellowcanary,withasmartblacktuftuponhishead,seemedtounderstandhispartinthelittledomesticsceneperfectlyforhesteppedobedientlyuponthefingerwhichwasextendedtohim,andwassoonsittingquiteathiseaseonthemossyedgeofoneofthedishes,peckingatthestrawberries. "Andnow,dotellme,"saidLisette,"allaboutMissNina.Howdoesshelook?" "Prettyandsmartasever,"saidHarry."Justthesamewitchy,wilfulwayswithher." "Anddidsheshowyouherdresses?" "Oh,yesthewhole." "Oh,dotellmeaboutthem,Harry—do!" "Well,there'salovelypinkgauze,coveredwithspangles,tobewornoverwhitesatin." "Withflounces?"saidLisette,earnestly. "Withflounces." "Howmany?" "Really,Idon'tremember." "Don'trememberhowmanyflounces?Why,Harry,howstupid!Say,Harry,don'tyousupposeshewillletmecomeandlookatherthings?" "Oh,yes,dear,Idon'tdoubtshewillandthatwillsavemymakingagazetteofmyself." "Oh,whenwillyoutakemethere,Harry?" "Perhapsto-morrow,dear.Andnow,"saidHarry,"thatyouhaveaccomplishedyoursurpriseuponme,Ihaveasurprise,inreturn,foryou.Youcan'tguess,now,whatMissNinabroughtforme." "No,indeed!What?"saidLisette,springingup"dotellme—quick." "Patience—patience!"saidHarry,deliberatelyfumblinginhispocket,amusinghimselfwithherexcitedair.ButwhoshouldspeaktheastonishmentandrapturewhichwidenedLisette'sdarkeyes,whenthewatchwasproduced?Sheclappedherhands,anddancedforjoy,totheimminentriskofupsettingthetable,andallthethingsonit. "Idothinkwearethemostfortunatepeople—youandI,Harry!Everythinggoesjustaswewantitto—doesn'tit,now?" Harry'sassenttothiscomprehensivepropositionwasmuchlessferventthansuitedhislittlewife. "Now,what'sthematterwithyou?Whatgoeswrong?Whydon'tyourejoiceasIdo?"saidshe,comingandseatingherselfdownuponhisknee."Come,now,you'vebeenworkingtoohard,Iknow.I'mgoingtosingtoyou,nowyouwantsomethingtocheeryouup."AndLisettetookdownherbanjo,andsatdowninthedoorwayunderthearchoflamarqueroses,andbeganthrumminggayly. "Thisisthenicestlittlething,thisbanjo!"shesaid"Iwouldn'tchangeitforalltheguitarsintheworld.Now,Harry,I'mgoingtosingsomethingspeciallyforyou."AndLisettesung:— "Whatarethejoysofwhiteman,here, Whatarehispleasures,say? Hegreat,heproud,hehaughtyfine WhileImybanjoplay: Hesleepallday,hewakeallnight Hefullofcare,hisheartnolight Hegreatdealwant,helittleget Hesorry,sohefret. "Meenvynotthewhitemanhere, Thoughhesoproudandgay Hegreat,heproud,hehaughtyfine, WhileImybanjoplay: Meworkallday,mesleepallnight Mehavenocare,meheartislight Methinknotwhatto-morrowbring Mehappy,somesing." Lisetterattledthestringsofthebanjo,andsangwithsuchaheartyabandonofenjoymentthatitwasacomforttolookather.Onewouldhavethoughtthatabird'ssoulputintoawoman'sbodywouldhavesungjustso. "There,"shesaid,throwingdownherbanjo,andseatingherselfonherhusband'sknee,"doyouknowIthinkyouarelikewhitemaninthesong?Ishouldliketoknowwhatisthematterwithyou.IcanseeplainenoughwhenyouarenothappybutIdon'tseewhy." "Oh,Lisette,Ihaveveryperplexingbusinesstomanage,"saidHarry."MissNinaisadear,goodlittlemistress,butshedoesn'tknowanythingaboutaccounts,ormoneyandhereshehasbroughtmehomeasetofbillstosettle,andI'msureIdon'tknowwherethemoneyistobegotfrom.It'shardworktomaketheoldplaceprofitableinourdays.Thegroundisprettymuchworkedupitdoesn'tbearthecropsitusedto.And,then,ourpeoplearesochildish,theydon't,asoulofthem,carehowmuchtheyspend,orhowcarelesslytheywork.It'sveryexpensivekeepingupsuchanestablishment.YouknowtheGordonsmustbeGordons.Thingscan'tbedonenowassomeotherfamilieswoulddothemand,then,thosebillswhichMissNinabringsfromNewYorkareperfectlyfrightful." "Well,Harry,whatareyougoingtodo?"saidLisette,nestlingdowncloseonhisshoulder."Youalwaysknowhowtodosomething." "Why,Lisette,IshallhavetodowhatI'vedonetwoorthreetimesbefore—takethemoneythatIhavesaved,topaythesebills—ourfreedom-money,Lisette." "Oh,well,then,don'tworry.Wecangetitagain,youknow.Why,youknow,Harry,youcanmakeagooddealwithyourtrade,andonethingandanotherthatyoudoand,then,asforme,why,youknow,myironing,andmymuslins,howcelebratedtheyare.Come,don'tworryonebitweshallgetonnicely." "Ah!But,Lisette,allthisprettyhouseofours,garden,andeverything,isonlybuiltonair,afterall,tillwearefree.Anyaccidentcantakeitfromus.Now,there'sMissNinasheisengaged,shetellsme,totwoorthreelovers,asusual." "Engaged,isshe?"saidLisette,eagerly,femalecuriositygettingthebetterofeveryotherconsideration"shealwaysdidhavelovers,just,youknow,asIusedto." "Yesbut,Lisette,shewillmarry,sometime,andwhatathingthatwouldbeforyouandme!Onherhusbandwilldependallmyhappinessforallmylife.Hemaysetheragainstmehemaynotlikeme.Oh,Lisette!I'veseentroubleenoughcomingofmarriagesandIwashoping,yousee,thatbeforethattimecamethemoneyformyfreedomwouldallbepaidin,andIshouldbemyownman.But,now,hereitis.Justasthesumisalmostmadeup,Imustpayoutfivehundreddollarsofit,andthatthrowsusbacktwoorthreeyearslonger.Andwhatmakesmefeelthemostanxiousis,thatI'mprettysureMissNinawillmarryoneoftheseloversbeforelong." "Why,whatmakesyouthinkso,Harry?" "Oh,I'veseengirlsbeforenow,Lisette,andIknowthesigns." "Whatdoesshedo?Whatdoesshesay?Tellme,now,Harry." "Oh,well,sherunsonabusingtheman,afterhersortandshe'ssoveryearnestandpositiveintellingmeshedon'tlikehim." "JustthewayIusedtodoaboutyou,Harry,isn't