, no responsibilities, no
incumbrances, and not a true word to be spoken against her. Why! it
would be the beginning of a new life to her. With her good looks, and
the grip she has of herself (her self-possession), she would hold her
own--no fear of that. And no one has a right to meddle with her. There
is her brother, but it is hardly likely he will trouble her. And she is
the stronger of the two, and she has had experience since the old days.
I canna fathom it--unless there be somebody else," said Mr Rainy,
standing still in the street. "Doctor, can you tell me that? I think I
would have heard of him, surely. And he would be a queer lad that would
object to her coming to him with her hands full. And there is not a
word said about her not marrying again. No, it must just be that she is
a woman of weak judgment."

They had walked a long way by this time, and now they turned into
another street, and soon came to Mr Rainy's door.

"Come in, doctor, come in. You surely must have something to say about
this strange freak, though I own I have not given you much chance to say
it. Come in if you can spare the time. It's early yet."

The doctor went in with him, but he had not much to say except that he
was not altogether surprised at Mistress Allison's decision. Indeed he
owned that he would have been surprised had she decided otherwise.

"But what, I ask, in the name of common sense, is the reason? You must
know, for you seem to have foreseen her refusal."

"I do not believe she herself could find a reason, except that she
cannot do this thing. The reason lies in her nature. She came to him,
as she says, because she was sorry for him, and because she wished that
they might forgive one another before he died. And I daresay she
thought she might do him some good. And so she did. May God bless her!
But as to what he had, or what he might do with it, I doubt if the
thought of it ever came into her mind, till you spoke the word
to-night."

Mr Rainy shook his head.

"I don't say that it is altogether beyond possibility. She seems to be
a simple-minded creature in some ways, but she's a woman. And just
think of it! A free life before her, and all that money can give--I
mean of the things dear to women--even to good and sensible women--gowns
and bonnets and--things. It couldna but have come into her mind."

"But even if she has thought of all these things, she refuses them now."

"Yes, she does that,