This somewhat disconcerted me.

“I mean,” I said, accidentally ladling the cold consomme into my tea-cup—“I mean, what would you do if you found a Chinaman's head on the sidewalk?”

“Step on it,” said my wife, promptly.

It was quite unexpected.

“I mean seriously,” I said, handing her my tea-cup, which she refused.

“I am quite serious,” said my wife; “but I wish you would watch what you are doing.”

I spent the next few minutes doing it.

“I am thinking,” I said gravely over my cutlet, “of writing mystery-stories.”

“That will be quite harmless,” returned the woman I once loved with passion.

I ignored her tone.