doubtedly, as Isolda says: 'Money (and
Menials) mar Matrimony.' Of the second I cannot trust myself to write,
but I know that money--the want of it, the withholding of it, and the
mis-spending of it--is responsible for a great deal of conjugal
conflict. Some men seem to imagine their wives ought to be able to keep
house without means, and these unfortunate women have to coax and beg
and make quite a favour of it before they can obtain their due
allowance. Even then they are treated like children, and their use of
the money is inquired into in a most insulting manner, as if there was
such a royal margin for extravagance.

I remember the case of poor little Hildebrand. He was a very young
husband, and had been brought up in a very old-fashioned way. One of his
quaintly mediaeval notions was that woman had no financial capacity and
could on no account be trusted with cash. If he had had time, I really
think he would have done all the housekeeping himself. Fortunately for
the peace of that family this was impossible. However, he exercised as
much supervision over the _menage_ as was possible, even to the extent
of looking over the tradesmen's books. Of course he did not understand
their cryptic symbols in the least, and it was a funny sight to see
little Hildebrand poring over the small red books, and puckering his
conscientious brows in an agony of puzzlement. Every now and then he
would turn for enlightenment to his wife, who happily possessed a very
robust sense of humour.

'What's this, Valeria, "3 m'lade, 11-1/2d."?'

'Three pounds of marmalade, dear, it's cheap enough, surely.'

'Too cheap to be good, I'm sure, you'd better get a superior quality.'

'But, my dear boy, it _is_ the best!'

'Oh!' Slightly discomfited Hildebrand would resume his study of the
grocer's hieroglyphics and presently a deep sigh would burst forth from
him.

'What's the matter, darling? Are those wretched accounts annoying you?'
Valeria would ask sympathetically, suppressing her desire to laugh.

'These fellows keep their books so deucedly queerly. What does this mean
"1 primrose, 7-1/2d., and 12 foreign safety, 1-1/2d."?'

'One pound of Primrose candles and a dozen boxes of matches; we must
have them, and it's only 9d. anyway.'

'That's not the point. What's this, "2 sunlight, 1s. 2d."?'

'Two boxes of Sunlight Soap for cook--it'll last ages.'

'And this, "one brooks, 3d."?'

'Why, Brookes' Soap, of course.'

'Is that what we u