full, the eyes wide apart and deep-seated, the lips
rather thin, but expressive, the chin solid and square. It was a face
of power, and capable of harshness; but relieved by an eye of unusual
color, between hazel and gray, and wonderfully tender. In complexion
he could not compare with Rosa; his cheek was clear, but pale; for
few young men had studied night and day so constantly. Though but
twenty-eight years of age, he was literally a learned physician; deep in
hospital practice; deep in books; especially deep in German science,
too often neglected or skimmed by English physicians. He had delivered a
course of lectures at a learned university with general applause.

As my reader has divined, Rosa was preparing the comedy of a cool
reception; but looking up, she saw his pale cheek tinted with a lover's
beautiful joy at the bare sight of her, and his soft eye so divine with
love, that she had not the heart to chill him. She gave him her hand
kindly, and smiled brightly on him instead of remonstrating. She lost
nothing by it, for the very first thing he did was to excuse himself
eagerly. "I am behind time: the fact is, just as I was mounting my
horse, a poor man came to the gate to consult me. He had a terrible
disorder I have sometimes succeeded in arresting--I attack the cause
instead of the symptoms, which is the old practice--and so that detained
me. You forgive me?"

"Of course. Poor man!--only you said you wanted to see papa, and he
always goes out at two."

When she had been betrayed into saying this, she drew in suddenly, and
blushed with a pretty consciousness.

"Then don't let me lose another minute," said the lover. "Have you
prepared him for--for--what I am going to have the audacity to say?"

Rosa answered, with some hesitation, "I MUST have--a little. When I
refused Colonel Bright--you need not devour my hand quite--he is forty."

Her sentence ended, and away went the original topic, and grammatical
sequence along with it. Christopher Staines recaptured them both. "Yes,
dear, when you refused Colonel Bright"--

"Well, papa was astonished; for everybody says the colonel is a most
eligible match. Don't you hate that expression? I do. Eligible!"

Christopher made due haste, and recaptured her. "Yes, love, your papa
said"--

"I don't think I will tell you. He asked me was there anybody else; and
of course I said 'No.'"

"Oh!"

"Oh, that is nothing; I had not time to make up my mind to tell the
tru