r Benjulia;
and I expect him to-day."

The reply startled her. "Dr. Benjulia?" she repeated.

"The greatest man we have!" Mr. Null asserted in his most positive
manner.

She silently determined to wait until Doctor Benjulia arrived.

"What is the last news of Mr. Ovid?" she said to him, after an interval
of consideration.

He told her the news, in the fewest words possible. Even he observed
that it seemed to excite her.

"Oh, Mr. Null! who is to prepare him for what he will see in that room?
Who is to tell him what he must hear of his mother?"

There was a certain familiarity in the language of this appeal, which
Mr. Null felt it necessary to discourage. "The matter is left in my
hands," he announced. "I shall telegraph to him at Queenstown. When he
comes home, he will find my prescriptions on the table. Being a
medical man himself, my treatment of the case will tell Mr. Ovid Vere
everything."

The obstinate insensibility of his tone stopped her on the point of
saying what Mr. Mool had said already. She, too, felt for Ovid, when
she thought of the cruel brevity of a telegram. "At what date will the
vessel reach Queenstown?" she asked.

"By way of making sure," said Mr. Null, "I shall telegraph in a week's
time."

She troubled him with no more inquiries. He had purposely remained
standing, in the expectation that she would take the hint, and go; and
he now walked to the window, and looked out. She remained in her chair,
thinking. In a few minutes more, there was a heavy step on the stairs.
Benjulia had arrived.

He looked hard at Miss Minerva, in unconcealed surprise at finding her
in the house. She rose, and made an effort to propitiate him by shaking
hands. "I am very anxious," she said gently, "to hear your opinion."

"Your hand tells me that," he answered. "It's a cold hand, on a warm
day. You're an excitable woman."

He looked at Mr. Null, and led the way into the bedroom.

Left by herself, Miss Minerva discovered writing materials (placed ready
for Mr. Null's next prescription) on a side table. She made use of them
at once to write to her employer. "A dear friend of mine is seriously
ill, and in urgent need of all that my devotion can do for her. If you
are willing to release me from my duties for a short time, your sympathy
and indulgence will not be thrown away on an ungrateful woman. If
you cannot do me this favour, I ask your pardon for putting you to
inconvenience, and leave some other perso