the Grange," she said, and Greta smiled.

Mrs. Broderick told her niece that she was growing very gay and
worldly. Actually Marcus had taken her and Greta to the Royal Academy
one afternoon, and they had sat in the Park afterwards. And Olivia in
her new spring dress and hat had looked the embodiment of youth and
freshness, and another afternoon they had gone to St. James's Hall to
hear Sarasate.

"Livy has had more work than play. I mean her to enjoy herself a
little," he said when Aunt Madge accused him playfully of spoiling his
wife, but Olivia refused to endorse this.

"No one could be happier," she told herself day after day. Marcus's
practice was certainly improving, and he was getting very intimate,
too, with Dr. Bevan, and it was already settled between them that he
should look after Dr. Bevan's patients while he was away in August.

Dr. Bevan had an extensive practice and was not young, and Dr. Luttrell
suspected that he would soon take a partner. He had complained more
than once lately that he was sadly overworked, but Marcus never could
be sure if these hints were intentionally dropped. To be Dr. Bevan's
partner would be the acme of his ambition, but in that case a good
house would be absolutely necessary.

Olivia had only been joking when she had made the observation. She had
no idea that Marcus even entertained such an idea for a moment, but
Marcus, who had his foot on the first rung of the ladder, was eager to
climb. All his spare time was spent in study. He still went to the
Models, to gain experience he would say, but in reality because the
people loved to have him, and because it gratified his organ of
benevolence.

As the summer wore on the weather became exceedingly hot and
oppressive, and Greta, who had taken a small house at Eastbourne for
July and August, insisted on carrying off Olivia and Dot for the first
month.

"It would be doing me the greatest kindness," she said almost tearfully
as she gave the invitation, "for how could I enjoy anything alone? Dr.
Luttrell has promised to run down from Saturday to Monday, and perhaps
we could even induce him to stay longer, and it would do Dot so much
good." And it was this last consideration that had the greatest weight
with Olivia.

"But oh, Marcus! how am I to leave you?" she began in rather a dismal
voice. But Marcus soon proved to her that he was only too willing to
part with her.

"My good child," he said, "the idea of your hes