ond is not
like most girls."

"Right doctor. She isn't. That fetched me. Why, in her plain shabby
things--"

The doctor winced. "She knocks my sister into fits, and Lyddy spends
two-fifty a year in dressmaking and millinery, without counting
jewellery and scent."

"I may say," continued the doctor, "that my daughter has always devoted
herself to her brother and me."

"Oh, yes, doctor, I've spotted that," said the visitor, smoking
furiously.

"And I have never seen any sign of an attachment. I once thought that
there was a liking between her and young Mark Heath."

"What, brother to that Miss Janet who comes here?" cried Poynter
eagerly.

"The same; but that was years ago."

"And he's abroad, isn't he?"

"He went to the Cape--to seek his fortune," said the doctor gravely;
"but he has not been heard of now for two years."

"Dead, safe!" said Poynter, drawing a breath full of relief.

"I'm afraid so."

"Afraid?"

"It would be sad if the young man had ended his career like that."

"Of course. But they weren't engaged?"

"Certainly not, Mr Poynter."

"And you've no objection to me, doctor?"

"N-no--I--that is, Mr Poynter, I look upon this as a matter for my
daughter to decide."

"Of course, doctor. Well, I'll just finish my cigar and grog, and then
I'll go and put it to her, plump and plain; and, as I said before, it'll
be a fine day's work for us all."

The doctor sighed.

"I say, you know," continued his visitor, with the wrinkles coming about
his eyes, "it was all a dodge of mine."

"I beg your pardon."

"There wasn't anything the matter with me when I came."

"Nothing whatever," said the doctor, nodding acquiescence.

"What! you knew that?"

"Of course I did. I looked upon it as all imaginary."

"But you took the fees, doctor?" said the young man, laughing.

"You took up my time."

"But I say, doctor, isn't that too bad?"

"Not at all. My dear sir, the medical profession. Won't I be a poor
one if we had no patients with imaginary ills. We treat them; they
think we do them good; and they grow better. Surely we earn our fees."

"Oh, but, doctor," said the young man jocularly, "why not honestly tell
them they are all right, instead of taking their coin?"

"Because if we did they would not believe us, and would go to some other
medical man."

"Then you knew I was all right?"

"Certainly I did."

"And made me up that wretched physic to take."

"You would not have b