So you see, my blue-eyed preacher, when your old
Janet talks of these things, she is not caught 'reckoning without her
host.'"

"One deplorable instance should not bias you against an entire class,
and the beautiful constancy of Panthea ought to neutralize the example
of a hundred Anastasia Chalmers. Is it not unfortunate that poor human
nature so tenaciously recollects all the evil records, and is so
oblivious of the noble acts furnished by history? Do cut the
acquaintance of the huge family of _on dits_, who serve the community
in much the same capacity as did the cook of Tantalus, when he dressed
and garnished Pelops for the banquet table. Unluckily, devouring
malice can not furnish the 'ivory shoulder' requisite to mend its
mischief. We are all prone to forget the injunction, 'Judge not, that
ye be not judged,' and instead of remembering that we are directed to
bear one another's burdens, we gall the shoulders of many, by
increasing the weights we should lighten. Janet, don't flay all the
poor young widows; leave them to such measures of peace as they may
find among their weeds."

Miss Jane listened to her brother's homily with a half-smile lurking
about the puckered corners of her eyes and mouth, and putting her
finger in the button-hole of his coat, drew him closer to her, as they
sat together on the sofa.

"How long since you took the tribe of widows under your special
protection?"

"Since the moment, that, owing to some inexplicable freak, my dear
Janet suffered 'evil communications to corrupt' her 'good manners,'
and absolutely forgot to be just and generous."

He kissed his sister and rose, but the troubled look that settled once
more on his countenance did not escape her observation.

"Ulpian, is Mrs. Gerome very ill?"

"Yes, I am exceedingly unhappy about her. She is dangerously ill with
a low, nervous, fever that baffles all my remedies."

Dr. Grey walked up and down the room, and Miss Jane pressed her
spectacles closer to her nose, and watched him.

"If the poor woman leads such a lonely, miserable life, I should think
that death would prove a blessed release to her. Of course it is
natural and reasonable that you should desire to save all your
patients, but why are you so very unhappy about her?"

He did not answer immediately, and when he spoke his deep tone was
tremulous with fervent feeling.

"Because I find that she is dearer to me than all the other women in
the world, except my siste