the world."

The last words had scarcely left the doctor's lips before the
dining-room door was opened, and Effie, accompanied by her friend,
entered the room.

Dorothy Fraser was about twenty-eight years of age; she was tall; she
had a fair, calm sort of face; her eyes were large and gray, her mouth
sweet. She had a way of taking possession of those she spoke to, and she
had not been two minutes in the shabby little sitting-room before Dr.
and Mrs. Staunton were looking at her earnestly and listening to her
words with respect.

Dorothy sat near Mrs. Staunton.

"I am very glad to know you," she said, after a pause. "Effie has talked
to me over and over again about you."

"May I ask how long you have known Effie?" interrupted Dr. Staunton.

"Well, exactly a week," replied Miss Fraser. "I have been home a week,
and I am going to stay another week. I met Effie the night I came home,
and---- But one can cultivate a friendship in a week; don't you think
so, Dr. Staunton?"

"Perhaps, perhaps," said the doctor in a dubious voice. "I am slow in
making friends myself. It is the old-fashioned way of country folk."

"Oh, pray don't speak of yourself as old-fashioned, Dr. Staunton; and
don't run down country folk, I see so many of them at the hospital. For
my part, I think they are worth twenty of those poor London people, who
are half starved in body, and have only learned the wicked side of
life."

"Poor creatures!" said Mrs. Staunton. "I wish you would tell us
something about the hospital, my dear. It is vastly entertaining to hear
all about sick people."

"No; now pardon me," said the doctor; "you will do nothing of the kind,
Miss Fraser. There are not many sick folk about here, but what few there
are I have got to look after, and my thoughts are bothered enough about
them and their sicknesses, so I would rather, if you please, turn our
conversation to people who are not ill. The wife here is a bit nervous,
too, and she is never the better for hearing people talk about what they
call 'bad cases.' I think it is the worst thing in the world for people
to keep talking of their maladies, or even about other people's
maladies. My motto is this, 'When you are ill, try and see how soon you
can get well again, and when you are well, try to keep so. Never think
of illness at all.'"

Miss Fraser looked fully at the doctor while he was talking. A slight
frown came between her eyebrows. Effie's bright dark eyes were fixed on