he silent obedience of a schoolboy. His
attitude was irreproachable. She was grateful for this, and her
satisfaction with herself for not having misjudged him renewed her
confidence in him, in herself, and in the difficult situation.

She began, quietly, by again telling him her name and profession; where
she lived, and that she was studying to be a specialist, though she did
not intimate what that specialty was to be.

Outwardly composed and attentively deferential, his astonishment at
times dominated a stronger sentiment that seemed to grow and expand with
her every word, seizing him in a fierce possession absolutely and
hopelessly complete.

The bewildering fascination of her mastered him. No cool analysis of
what his senses were confirming could be necessary to convince him of
his condition. Every word of hers, every gesture, every inflection of
her sweet, clear voice, every lifting of her head, her eyes, her
perfectly gloved hands, only repeated to him what he knew was a
certainty. Never had he looked upon such physical loveliness; never had
he dreamed of such a voice.

She had asked him a question, and, absorbed in the pure delight of
looking at her, he had not comprehended or answered. She flushed
sensitively, accepting his silence as refusal, and he came out of his
trance hastily.

"I beg your pardon; I did not quite understand your question, Miss
Hollis--I mean, Dr. Hollis."

"I asked you if you minded my noting your pulse," she said.

He stretched out his right hand; she stripped off her glove, laid the
tip of her middle finger on his wrist, and glanced down at the gold
watch which she held.

"I am wondering," he said, laughing uncertainly, "whether you believe me
to be ill. Of course it is easy to see that you have found something
unusual about me--something of particular interest to a physician. Is
there anything very dreadful going to happen to me, Dr. Hollis? I feel
perfectly well."

"Are you sure you feel well?" she asked, so earnestly that the smile on
his lips faded out.

"Absolutely. Is my pulse queer?"

"It is not normal."

He could easily account for that, but he said nothing.

She questioned him for a few minutes, noted his pulse again, looked
closely at the bluish circles under his eyes. Naturally he flushed up
and grew restless under the calm, grave, beautiful eyes.

"I--I have an absolutely new and carefully sterilized thermometer--" She
drew it from a tiny gold-initialed pocke