w poison, that she forgot all about the proteins, fats,
and carbohydrates. Her talk these days was of formaldehyde, benzoate of
soda, and salicylic acid.

Very soon, too, Billy discovered an exclusive Back Bay school for
instruction in household economics and domestic hygiene. Billy
investigated it at once, and was immediately aflame with enthusiasm. She
told Bertram that it taught everything, _everything_ she wanted to know;
and forthwith she enrolled herself as one of its most devoted pupils, in
spite of her husband's protests that she knew enough, more than enough,
already. This school attendance, to her consternation, Billy discovered
took added time; but in some way she contrived to find it to take.

And so the days passed. Eliza's mother, though better, was still too ill
for her daughter to leave her. Billy, as the warm weather approached,
began to look pale and thin. Billy, to tell the truth, was working
altogether too hard; but she would not admit it, even to herself. At
first the novelty of the work, and her determination to conquer at all
costs, had given a fictitious strength to her endurance. Now that the
novelty had become accustomedness, and the conquering a surety, Billy
discovered that she had a back that could ache, and limbs that, at
times, could almost refuse to move from weariness. There was still,
however, one spur that never failed to urge her to fresh endeavor, and
to make her, at least temporarily, forget both ache and weariness;
and that was the comforting thought that now, certainly, even Bertram
himself must admit that she was tending to her home and her husband.

As to Bertram--Bertram, it is true, had at first uttered frequent and
vehement protests against his wife's absorption of both mind and body
in "that plaguy housework," as he termed it. But as the days passed, and
blessed order superseded chaos, peace followed discord, and delicious,
well-served meals took the place of the horrors that had been called
meals in the past, he gradually accepted the change with tranquil
satisfaction, and forgot to question how it was brought about; though he
did still, sometimes, rebel because Billy was always too tired, or too
busy, to go out with him. Of late, however, he had not done even this so
frequently, for a new "Face of a Girl" had possessed his soul; and all
his thoughts and most of his time had gone to putting on canvas the
vision of loveliness that his mind's eye saw.

By June fifteenth th