and simple, made up her mind to it. He was Fred--that was all
that could be said on the subject; and, being Fred, belonged to her, and
had to be cared for like the rest.

It all grew into a matter of routine as that winter glided along;
outside and in, everybody came to take it for granted. Miss Wodehouse,
who, with a yearning admiration of a creature so totally unlike herself,
came often to visit Nettie, ceased to expostulate, almost ceased to
wonder. Mr Wentworth no longer opened his fine eyes in amazement when
that household was named. Mrs Smith, their landlady, calmly brought her
bills to Nettie, and forgot that it was not the most natural thing in
the world that she should be paid by Miss Underwood. The only persistent
sceptic was the doctor. Edward Rider could not, would not, believe it.
He who had so chafed under Fred's society, felt it beyond the bounds
of human possibility that Nettie could endure him. He watched with an
eagerness which he found it difficult to account for, to see the first
symptoms of disgust which must ere long mark the failure of this bold
but foolish venture. It occupied his mind a great deal more than was
good for his own comfort; perhaps more than was best for his patients.
Though he had few people to visit in that quarter of the town, his
drag was seen to pass St Roque's Cottage most days in the week; and
when urgent messages came for Dr Rider in the evening, his little
groom always wended his way out through the special district of Dr
Marjoribanks to find his master, if the doctor was not at home. Not that
all this devotion assisted him much either in increase of friendship
with his relations, or in verification of his auguries. The disgust of
the young doctor, when he saw his brother's slovenly figure in his own
chair, was nothing to his disgust now, when he saw that same form, so
out of accordance with the neat little sitting-room which Nettie's
presence made dainty and refined in its homeliness, lounging in Nettie's
way. He could not bring himself to speak with ordinary patience to
Fred; and Fred, obtuse as he was, perceived his brother's disgust and
contempt, and resented it sullenly; and betrayed his resentment to the
foolish wife, who sulked and said spiteful things to Edward. It was not
a pleasant family group. As for Nettie, she was much too fully occupied
to give her society or conversation to Dr Rider. She came and went
while he was there, busy about a thousand things, always