I protect your working hours?"

He nodded.

"Do I nag or ask questions, or complain about things?"

He shook his head.

"Am I extravagant?"

"Good Lord! Jane, you're all right, but this is only the beginning. This
is your first picture on the line," he said, holding up the letter.

"I know that there are many ways in which I fail as a wife--ways in
which we are not harmonious--but that shield has two sides, Jerry, and
my belief is that, since we did what we did, we can't expect perfection
in our life together. We have to face certain grave lacks, and make the
best of what we have."

"I suppose that's fair."

"We've got a difficult situation on our hands. I don't know whether it
would be easier or harder if we loved each other. But all I ask of you
is to go step by step with me in the matter, and try to keep an open
mind. Don't talk about my career; I don't want a career. I just want to
say what I think and feel, as my contribution. I want to do it, so that
it does not take an iota of my time or interest from you or Baby; is
that unreasonable?"

"It sounds all right."

"But, Jerry, you mustn't begrudge it to me, like that! Can't you just
say to yourself: 'Now this isn't working out any theory; it hasn't
anything to do with feminism; it's just a knot for us two to untie?'
We've got to keep our tempers sweet and our minds aired to do it, Jerry,
but won't you try it out with me?"

"It sounds easy and reasonable to you, Jane, but what you're asking me
to do is to shed all my inherited ideas and my own convictions on this
subject of woman's function and place."

"My dear, inherited ideas ought to go; they're not worth giving storage
room, and convictions that are change-proof are dangerous possessions!"

"That's your point of view!"

"It is yours on most subjects. If you prove to me that it is not your
point of view on this subject, I shall certainly respect it, and also
try to change it."

"You don't leave me any alternative," he said, veering from the point.
"You spring this thing on me, and say: 'Now--make the best of it!'"

"I'm sorry you feel that way about it. There is, of course, a perfectly
obvious alternative--that we should separate."

"You mean you would go that far, rather than let this writing business
go for a few years until Jerry is five or six?"

"I can't get into your mind when you hold it shut, Jerry. I've put every
effort and hope of my life into laborious toil for seven years to
pr