Madame taps lightly on her husband’s shoulder.

“Hum,” growls Monsieur.

Madame taps again.

“Well, what is it?”

Madame, in an angelic tone of voice, “My dear, would you put out the candle?”

Monsieur, without opening his eyes, “The hot-water bottle, the candle, the candle, the hot-water bottle.”

“Good heavens! how irritable you are, Oscar. I will put it out myself. Don’t trouble yourself. You really have a very bad temper, my dear; you are angry, and if you were goaded a little, you would, in five minutes, be capable of anything.”

Monsieur, his voice smothered in the pillow, “No, not at all; I am sleepy, dear, that is all. Good-night, my dear.”

Madame, briskly, “You forget that in domestic life good feeling has for its basis reciprocal consideration.”

“I was wrong—come, good-night.” He raises himself up a little. “Would you like me to kiss you?”