They talked late about Jarvis’s work, his methods of writing, the length of time it took him to conceive and work out a play.  It all fascinated Bambi.  She felt that a wonderful interest had come into her life.  A new thing was to be created, each day, under her roof, near her.  She was to have part in it, help in its shaping to perfection.  She gloated over the days to come, and a warm rush of gratitude to Jarvis for bringing her this sense of his need of her made her burst out: 

“Oh, life is such fun!”

He looked at her closely.

“You are a queer little mite,” said he.

“The mite is mightier than the sword,” she laughed, starting for the garden.  “You go to bed, so you can get an early start on that play.  I’ll round up the Professor.  He’s forgotten to bring himself in.”

He obeyed without objection.  He felt, all at once, like a ship at anchor after long years of floating aimlessly, but, manlike, he took his good fortune as his just right, and it never occurred to him to thank Bambi for his new sense of peace and well-being.

IV

The marriage of Jarvis and Bambi furnished the town with a ten days’ topic of conversation, a fact to which they were perfectly indifferent.  Then it was accepted, as any other wonder, such as a comet passing, or an airship disaster.

In the meantime the strangely assorted trio fell into a more or less comfortable relationship.  Jarvis and the Professor almost came to blows, but for the most part the diplomatic Bambi kept peace.  Both men appealed to her for everything and she took care of them like babies.  She called them the “Heavenly Twins” and found endless amusement in their dependence on her.  Sometimes she did not see Jarvis for days.  His study and bedroom were on the top floor, and when he was in a work fit he forgot to come to meals.  She let him alone, only seeing that he ate what she sent up to him.  Sometimes his light burned all night.  She would go to the foot of the stairs and listen to him reading scenes aloud in the early dawn, but she never interfered with him in any way.  He plunged into the remaking of “Success” with characteristic abandon.  He destroyed the old version entirely, and began on a new one.  When he had the framework completed, he summoned Bambi for a private view.  She condemned certain parts, praised others, flashed new thoughts upon him, forced him to new viewpoints.  He raved at her, defended his ideas, refuted her arguments, and invariably accepted every contribution.  When he came to an impasse, he howled through the house for her, like a lost child wailing for its mother.