e demanded, bitterly. "What if it was true a
hundred times over? You sit there with your silly face half ready to
giggle and half ready to sniffle, and tell me stories like that, about
Sibyl picking on Bobby Lamhorn and worrying him to death, and you think
it matters to ME? What if I already KNEW all about their 'quarreling'?
What if I understood WHY she--" She broke off with a violent gesture, a
sweep of her arm extended at full length, as if she hurled something to
the ground. "Do you think a girl that really cared for a man would pay
any attention to THAT? Or to YOU, Bibbs Sheridan!"

He looked at her steadily, and his gaze was as keen as it was steady.
She met it with unwavering pride. Finally he nodded slowly, as if she
had spoken and he meant to agree with what she said.

"Ah, yes," he said. "I won't come into the smoking-room again. I'm
sorry, Edith. Nobody can make you see anything now. You'll never see
until you see for yourself. The rest of us will do better to keep out of
it--especially me!"

"That's sensible," she responded, curtly. "You're most surprising of all
when you're sensible, Bibbs."

"Yes," he sighed. "I'm a dull dog. Shake hands and forgive me, Edith."

Thawing so far as to smile, she underwent this brief ceremony, and
George appeared, summoning Bibbs to the library; Dr. Gurney was waiting
there, he announced. And Bibbs gave his sister a shy but friendly touch
upon the shoulder as a complement to the handshaking, and left her.

Dr. Gurney was sitting by the log fire, alone in the room, and he merely
glanced over his shoulder when his patient came in. He was not over
fifty, in spite of Sheridan's habitual "ole Doc Gurney." He was gray,
however, almost as thin as Bibbs, and nearly always he looked drowsy.

"Your father telephoned me yesterday afternoon, Bibbs," he said, not
rising. "Wants me to 'look you over' again. Come around here in front of
me--between me and the fire. I want to see if I can see through you."

"You mean you're too sleepy to move," returned Bibbs, complying. "I
think you'll notice that I'm getting worse."

"Taken on about twelve pounds," said Gurney. "Thirteen, maybe."

"Twelve."

"Well, it won't do." The doctor rubbed his eyelids. "You're so much
better I'll have to use some machinery on you before we can know just
where you are. You come down to my place this afternoon. Walk down--all
the way. I suppose you know why your father wants to know."

Bibbs nodded. "Mach