you like muffins, doctor?"

"Like them!" said the doctor. "I am thinking what a happy man Mr.
Linden must be."

"Marvellously true!" said Mr. Linden. "I hope you'll go home and write
a new 'Search after happiness,' ending it sentimentally in muffins."

"Not so," said the doctor. "I should only begin it in muffins--as I am
doing. But my remark after all had a point;--for I was thinking of the
possibility of detaching anybody from such a periodical attraction.
Mrs. Derrick, I am the bearer of an humble message to you from my
sister and father--who covet the honour and pleasure of your presence
to-morrow evening. Sophy makes me useful, when she can. I hope you will
give me a gracious answer--for yourself and Miss Faith, and so make me
useful again. It is a rare chance! I am not often good for anything."

"I don't know whether I know how to give what you call gracious
answers, doctor," said Mrs. Derrick pleasantly. "I'm very much obliged
to Miss Sophy, but I never go anywhere at night."

With the other two the doctor's mission was more successful; and then
he disclosed the other object of his visit.

"Miss Derrick, do you remember I once threatened to bring the play of
Portia here--and introduce her to you?"

"I remember it," said Faith.

"Would it be pleasant to you that I should fulfil my threat this
evening?"

"I don't know, sir," said Faith smiling,--"till I hear the play."

"Mr. Linden,--what do you think?" said the doctor, also with a smile.

"I am ready for anything--if you will let me be impolite enough to
finish writing a letter while I hear the first part of your reading."

"To change the subject slightly--what do you suppose, Mr. Linden, would
on the whole be the effect, on society, if the hand of Truth were in
every case to be presented without a glove?" The doctor spoke gravely
now.

"The effect would be that society would shake hands more cordially--I
should think," said Mr. Linden; "though it is hard to say how such an
extreme proposition would work."

"Do you know, it strikes me that it would work just the other way, and
that hands would presently clasp nothing but daggers' hilts. But there
is another question.--How will one fair hand of truth live among a
crowd of steel gauntlets?"

"_What?_" Mr. Linden said, with a little bending of his brows upon the
doctor. "I am wearing neither glove nor gauntlet,--what are you talking
about?--And my half-finished letter is a fact and no pretence."