ned. "Have you your
checks?"

"That is all arranged," she returned briefly. "I am all ready. May I ask
you to hurry? Dr. Hitchcock was anxious for me to see her before six,
when the fever begins."

His nerves were more sharply edged than he knew: an instant irritation
seized him.

"There is plenty of room in the back of the cart," he insisted, "the
express people are very uncertain. Would you not better give me the
checks?"

She swung herself up beside him with a firm, assured motion; for a
heavily built woman she carried herself very lightly.

"I think not," she said decidedly, "the man has started, I am sure. I
would rather lose no time."

He bowed and started the horse: he disliked her already. To a
deep-seated, involuntary disgust that any woman should have to earn her
living he added a displeased wonder that one should choose this method
of doing it. There must be disagreeable details connected with it,
embarrassments, absolute indignities: why did they not marry? This woman
was good-looking enough. She was very obstinate--almost dictatorial. His
idea of womanhood was hopelessly confused with clouds of white tulle,
appealing eyes, and a desire for guidance. It was impossible to connect
any of these characteristics with the woman beside him.

For a while they drove in silence. Then compunction seized him and he
remarked on the beauty of the foliage. She assented easily, but seemed
no more relieved by the speech than embarrassed by the silence. It
was impossible to treat her as a hired servant: one felt a strong
personality in her. Before they reached the house he was searching for
conversation that should not bore her.

As they stepped into the wide hall, where he observed with a shade of
displeasure that her luggage had come before them, Dr. Hitchcock met
them.

"Ah, Miss Strong, glad to see you. Come right up. On time, as usual, of
course! I was afraid you couldn't make it. Jameson comes to-morrow, you
know--"

They were up the stairs; Belden stood idly in the hall where they had
left him. He had had an idea of showing her the house, stating some of
the facts of Clarice's sudden and terrible need of her, indicating that
in a family so jarred from the very foundations it would be wiser to
look to him than to the bewildered master of the establishment; but this
was not necessary.

Evidently she persisted in dispensing with his services.

His hand slipped to his vest pocket, but he replaced the cigar