“No dear,” said Bella, twisting the button and shaking her head, “it wasn’t this.”

“Why then, Lord bless this little wife of mine, there’s a Fourthly!” exclaimed John.

“This worried me a little, and so did Secondly,” said Bella, occupied with the button, “but it was quite another sort of seriousness⁠—a much deeper and quieter sort of seriousness⁠—that I spoke of John dear.”

As he bent his face to hers, she raised hers to meet it, and laid her little right hand on his eyes, and kept it there.

“Do you remember, John, on the day we were married, Pa’s speaking of the ships that might be sailing towards us from the unknown seas?”

“Perfectly, my darling!”

“I think⁠ ⁠… among them⁠ ⁠… there is a ship upon the ocean⁠ ⁠… bringing⁠ ⁠… to you and me⁠ ⁠… a little baby, John.”