hand with his long-handled axe, and when the jerk came
he was on the other side of the comb, where he could brace himself, and
brought them both up standing. Well, he's got muscles like bunches of
steel wire. Did n't he ever tell you about it?"

"No," said Grace sadly.

"Well, somebody ought to expose Libby. I don't suppose I should ever
have known about it myself, if I hadn't happened to see the guide's
friends and relations crying over him next day as if he was the guide's
funeral. Hello! There's the doctor." He unlimbered his lank legs, and
rose with an effect of opening his person like a pocket-knife. "As I
understand it, this is an unprofessional visit, and the doctor is
here among us as a guest. I don't know exactly what to do under the
circumstances, whether we ought to talk about Mrs. Maynard's health or
the opera; but I reckon if we show our good intentions it will come out
all right in the end."

He went forward to meet the doctor, who came up to shake hands with
Grace, and then followed him in-doors to see Mrs. Maynard. Grace
remained in her place, and she was still sitting there when Dr.
Mulbridge returned without him. He came directly to her, and said, "I
want to speak with you, Miss Breen. Can I see you alone?"

"Is--is Mrs. Maynard worse?" she asked, rising in a little trepidation.

"No; it has nothing to do with her. She's practically well now; I
can remand the case to you. I wish to see you--about yourself." She
hesitated at this peculiar summons, but some pressure was upon her to
obey Dr. Mulbridge, as there was upon most people where he wished to
obey him. "I want to talk with you," he added, "about what you are going
to do,--about your future. Will you come?"

"Oh, yes," she answered; and she suffered him to lead the way down from
the piazza, and out upon one of the sandy avenues toward the woods, in
which it presently lost itself. "But there will be very little to talk
about," she continued, as they moved away, "if you confine yourself to
my future. I have none."

"I don't see how you've got rid of it," he rejoined. "You've got a
future as much as you have a past, and there's this advantage,--that you
can do something with your future."

"Do you think so?" she asked, with a little bitterness. "That has n't
been my experience."

"It's been mine," he said, "and you can make it yours. Come, I want
to talk with you about your future, because I have been thinking very
seriously about my own. I