'You can't pull it away now, Mabel.'
'Yes, dear. I must.'
'Go on, woman. Give her the rest and stop fussing.'
'But Albert...'
'She's famished, can't you see that? Go on, my beauty,' he said. 'You finish that bottle.'
'I don't like it, Albert,' the wife said, but she didn't pull the bottle away.
'She's making up for lost time, Mabel, that's all she's doing.'
Five minutes later the bottle was empty. Slowly, Mrs Taylor withdrew the nipple, and this time there was no protest from the baby, no sound at all. It lay peacefully on the mother's lap, the eyes glazed with contentment, the mouth half-open, the lips smeared with milk.
'Twelve whole ounces, Mabel!' Albert Taylor said. 'Three times the normal amount! Isn't that amazing!'
The woman was staring down at the baby. And now the old anxious tight-lipped look of the frightened mother was slowly returning to her face.
'What's the matter with you?' Albert asked. 'You're not worried by that, are you? You can't expect her to get back to normal on a lousy four ounces, don't be ridiculous.'
'Come here, Albert,' she said.
'What?'
'I said come here.'
He went over and stood beside her.
'Take a good look and tell me if you see anything different.'
He peered closely at the baby. 'She seems bigger, Mabel, if that's what you mean. Bigger and fatter.'
'Hold her,' she ordered. 'Go on, pick her up.'
He reached out and lifted the baby up off the mother's lap. 'Good God!' he cried. 'She weighs a ton!'
'Exactly.'
'Now isn't that marvellous!' he cried, beaming. 'I'll bet she must be back to normal already!'
'It frightens me, Albert. It's too quick.'
'Nonsense, woman.'
'It's that disgusting jelly that's done it,' she said. 'I hate the stuff.'
'There's nothing disgusting about royal jelly,' he answered, indignant.
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'Don't be a fool, Albert! You think it's normal for a child to start putting on weight at this speed?'
'You're never satisfied!' he cried. 'You're scared stiff when she's losing and now you're absolutely terrified because she's gaining! What's the matter with you, Mabel?'
The woman got up from her chair with the baby in her arms and started towards the door. 'All I can say is,' she said, 'it's lucky I'm here to see you don't give her any more of it, that's all I can say.' She went out, and Albert watched her through the open door as she crossed the hall to the foot of the stairs and started to ascend, and when she reached the third or fourth step she suddenly stopped and stood quite still for several seconds as though remembering something. Then she turned and came down again rather quickly and re-entered the room.
'Albert,' she said.