.

"There is Dr. Harrison."

"And I shall have to be on my good behaviour," Mr. Linden said,
quitting the sofa. "But I suppose he will not stay all the rest of the
day." And as Cindy was slow in her movements, he went and opened the
door; Faith the while fitting on a glove finger.

"First in one element, and then in another--" Mr. Linden said, as the
doctor came in from a sort of simoon of snow.

"This one for me!" said Dr. Harrison shaking herself;--"but I should
say you must be out of your element to-day."

"Wherefore, if you please?" said Mr. Linden, as he endeavoured to get
the doctor out of his.

"Unless you live in a variety! I thought you were in your element last
night." And the doctor went forward into the sitting-room. The first
move was to take a seat by Faith and attend to her; and his address and
his inquiries, with the manner of them, were perfect in their kind.
Interested, concerned, tender, grateful, to the utmost limit of what
might have been in the circumstances testified by anybody, with equal
grace and skill they were limited there. Of special individual interest
he allowed no testimony to escape him--none at least that was
unequivocal. And Faith gave him answers to all he said, till he touched
her gloved finger and inquired if the fire had been at work there too.
Faith rather hastily drew it under cover and said no.

"What is the matter with it?"

"There is nothing bad the matter with it," said Faith, very imprudently
letting her cheeks get rosy. The doctor looked at her--told her he
could cure her finger if she would let him; and then rose up and
assumed his position before the fire, looking down at Mr. Linden.

"There isn't much of a midge about you, after all," he said.

"I suppose in the matter of wings we are about on a par. What is the
extent of the damage?"

"It is nothing worth speaking of--I think now," said the doctor. "But
we are under an extent of obligation to you, my dear fellow,--which
sits on me as lightly as obligation so generously imposed should;--and
yet I should be doubly grateful if you could shew me some way in which
I could--for a moment--reverse the terms on which we stand towards each
other."

"I don't think of any generous imposition just now," said Mr. Linden
smiling. "How are your father and sister?--I was afraid they would
suffer from the fright, if nothing else."

"Strong nerves!" said the doctor shrugging his shoulders. "We all eat
our breakfast this