n mine.

"You deserve to have them well rapped with a ruler," I told her, "but,
as no such instrument of torture is at hand, I shall punish you
otherwise."

So I was bold enough to touch them to my lips for a second and abandoned
them, suddenly possessed by a huge fear that I had taken an inexcusable
liberty, but she looked at the baby, smiling.

"Indeed, Frances, I share your happiness and trust that your
anticipations are to be realized in fullest measure. A mean, little,
selfish feeling came to me, a moment ago, that the fulfilment of your
hopes might take you away from us. I confess that I am shamed and
contrite at the thought, but I have become very fond of--of Baby Paul.
Now, however, I rejoice with you. But, my dear child, for Heaven's sake
remember what our good little doctor told you! I beg you not to spoil
his magnificent work!"

"Oh! David! I'll be ever so careful, I promise, and, whatever happens,
you will always be the same dear old David to us. I assure you I won't
try again, for ever so long. I think I just began without knowing what I
was doing. The first thing I knew I was just humming that bit of song to
Paul, and then the words came quite clear, so easily that I hardly
realized I was singing. But I won't try again, until Dr. Porter allows
me to. And then, it will be very little at a time, ever so little."

"And then, you will have to go to the very best man in New York, and
take more lessons and practise a lot, because your throat has been idle
so long that it has forgotten all it ever knew, and--and----"

"And it would cost a dreadful lot of money, and I have none, and it is
all a great big lovely dream, but I must awaken from it and go back to
Mr. McGrath's for a few days more, and then to Felicie's shop, because
it opens again next week and she declares she can't get along without
me. I am afraid, my poor David, that I shall have to be quite content
with singing to Baby Paul, as best I can, and, perhaps, to Frieda and
you."

I rose, angrily, and paced the room several times.

"That's arrant nonsense," I finally declared. "You will go to Gordon's
and you will also return to Madame Felicie Smith's, for a short time. In
the meanwhile I will have the piano moved into your room, because it is
a silly incumbrance in mine. You can practise a little by yourself, if
Porter allows you to. Then, as soon as he says it is all right, you will
go to the Signora Stefano, or to Richetti or some such expert