"I can't go quite so far as that," said the other judge. "But no
doubt we all have the same feeling more or less. I know pretty well
what my friend Graham is driving at."

"And in your heart you agree with me," said Graham.

"If you would carry men's heads with you they would do you more good
than their hearts," said the judge. And then as the wine bottles
were stationary, the subject was cut short and they went into the
drawing-room.

Graham had no opportunity that evening of telling his tale to
Madeline Staveley. The party was too large for such tale-telling or
else not large enough. And then the evening in the drawing-room was
over before it had seemed to begin; and while he was yet hoping that
there might be some turn in his favour, Lady Staveley wished him
good-night, and Madeline of course did the same. As he again pressed
her hand he could not but think how little he had said to her since
he had been in the house, and yet it seemed to him as though that
little had made him more intimate with her than he had ever found
himself before. He had made an attempt to separate himself from
the company by proposing to go and call on Mrs. Baker in her own
quarters; but Madeline had declared it to be too late for such an
expedition, explaining that when Mrs. Baker had no patient on hand
she was accustomed to go early to her bed. In the present instance,
however, she had been wrong, for when Felix reached the door of his
own room, Mrs. Baker was coming out of it.

"I was just looking if everything was right," said she. "It seems
natural to me to come and look after you, you know."

"And it is quite as natural to me to be looked after."

"Is it though? But the worst of you gentlemen when you get well is
that one has done with you. You go away, and then there's no more
about it. I always begrudge to see you get well for that reason."

"When you have a man in your power you like to keep him there."

"That's always the way with the women you know. I hope we shall see
one of them tying you by the leg altogether before long."

"I don't know anything about that," said Felix, sheepishly.

"Don't you? Well, if you don't I suppose nobody don't. But
nevertheless I did hear a little bird say--eh! Mr. Graham."

"Those little birds are the biggest liars in the world."

"Are they now? Well perhaps they are. And how do you think our Miss
Madeline is looking? She wasn't just well for one short time after
you went away."

"