butyo\'rbutaladaftera\'。\'Thiswasnotconciliatoryspeech，andjustputthelaststroketoPhilip\'sfitofill—temper。\'I\'mnotformyteato—night，\'saidhe，toHester，whenallwasready。
\'Sylvie\'snothere，andnothingisnice，orasitshouldbe。I\'llgoandsettoont\'stock—taking。Don\'tyo\'hurry，Hester;stopandchatabitwithth\'oldlady。\'\'Nay，Philip，\'saidHester，\'thou\'ssadlytired;justtakethiscupo\'
tea;Sylvia\'llbegrievedifyo\'haven\'tsomething。\'\'Sylviadoesn\'tcarewhetherI\'mfullorfasting，\'repliedhe，impatientlyputtingasidethecup。\'Ifshedidshe\'dha\'takencaretobein，andha\'
seentothingsbeingasIlikethem。\'NowingeneralPhilipwastheleastparticularofmenaboutmeals;andtodoSylviajustice，shewasscrupulouslyattentivetoeveryhouseholddutyinwhicholdPhoebewouldallowhertomeddle，andalwayscarefultoseeafterherhusband\'scomforts。ButPhilipwastoovexedatherabsencetoperceivetheinjusticeofwhathewassaying，norwasheawarehowBellRobsonhadbeenattendingtowhathesaid。Butshewassadlydiscomfitedbyit，understandingjustenoughofthegrievanceinhandtothinkthatherdaughterwasneglectfulofthosedutieswhichsheherselfhadalwaysregardedasparamounttoallothers;norcouldHesterconvinceherthatPhiliphadnotmeantwhathesaid;neithercouldsheturnthepooroldwoman\'sthoughtsfromthewordswhichhadcausedherdistress。PresentlySylviacamein，brightandcheerful，althoughbreathlesswithhurry。\'Oh，\'saidshe，takingoffherwetshawl，\'we\'vehadtoshelterfromsuchastormofrain，babyandme——butsee！she\'snonetheworseforit，asbonnyasiver，blessher。\'HesterbegansomespeechofadmirationforthechildinordertopreventBellfromdeliveringthelectureshefeltsurewascomingdownontheunsuspectingSylvia;butallinvain。\'Philip\'sbeencomplainingonthee，Sylvie，\'saidBell，inthewayinwhichshehadspokentoherdaughterwhenshewasalittlechild;graveandsevereintoneandlook，morethaninwords。\'Iforgetjustlywhatabout，buthespokeonthyneglectinghimcontinual。It\'snotright，mylass，it\'snotright;awomanshould——butmyhead\'sverytired，andallIcanthinkontosayis，it\'snotright。\'\'Philipbeencomplainingofme，andtomother！\'saidSylvia，readytoburstintotears，sogrievedandangrywasshe。\'No！\'saidHester，\'thymotherhastakenitalittletoostrong;hewerevexedlikeathisteanotbeingready。\'Sylviasaidnomore，butthebrightcolourfadedfromhercheek，andthecontractionofcarereturnedtoherbrow。Sheoccupiedherselfwithtakingoffherbaby\'swalkingthings。Hesterlingered，anxioustosootheandmakepeace;shewaslookingsorrowfullyatSylvia，whenshesawtearsdroppingonthebaby\'scloak，andthenitseemedasifshemustspeakawordofcomfortbeforegoingtotheshop—work，wheresheknewshewasexpectedbybothPhilipandCoulson。Shepouredoutacupoftea，andcomingcloseuptoSylvia，andkneelingdownbyher，shewhispered，——\'Justtakehimthisintot\'ware—room;it\'llputalltorightsifthou\'lltakeittohimwi\'thyownhands。\'Sylvialookedup，andHesterthenmorefullysawhowshehadbeencrying。
Shewhisperedinreply，forfearofdisturbinghermother，——\'Idon\'tmindanythingbuthisspeakingillonmetomother。IknowI\'mforivertryingandtryingtobeagoodwifetohim，an\'it\'sverydullwork;harderthanyo\'thinkon，Hester，——an\'Iwouldha\'beenhomeforteato—nightonlyIwasafearedofbabygettingwetwi\'t\'stormo\'hailaswehaddownont\'shore;andweshelteredunderarock。It\'sawearycominghometothisdarkplace，andtofindmyownmothersetagainstme。\'Takehimhistea，likeagoodlassie。I\'llanswerforithe\'llbeallright。Amantakesithardlywhenhecomesintired，a—thinkinghiswife\'11betheretocheerhimupabit，tofindheroff，andniverknownoughtoft\'reasonwhy。\'\'I\'mgladenoughI\'vegettenababy，\'saidSylvia，\'butforaughtelseIwishI\'dniverbeenmarried，Ido！\'\'Hushthee，lass！\'saidHester，risingupindignant;\'nowthatisasin。