before ten, I
shall be happy to introduce you to a very eligible case.'

I would have given much to dispense with Mr. Hamilton's patronage; but
under the circumstances it would have been absurd to refuse his offer.
I could not sacrifice my work to my temper; but I recognised with a
sinking heart that Mr. Hamilton would cross my daily path. The idea
was as delightful to me as the anticipation of a daily east wind. I
restrained myself, however, and briefly mentioned that I would be ready
by nine.

'Oh, that is an hour too early: I will call for you at ten. Let me see,
you are at the White Cottage. You are not curious about your first
patient; in that you are not a true daughter of Eve. Well, good-bye, Miss
Garston; good-bye, Cunliffe.' And he left the room without shaking hands
with me again.

Uncle Max followed him out into the hall, and they stood so long talking
that I lost patience, and went into the kitchen to see Mrs. Drabble.

She received me in a resigned way, as usual, and talked without taking
breath once while she buttered the hot cakes and prepared the tea-tray.
I understood her to say that Mr. Tudor's collars were her chief cares in
life; that no young gentleman she had ever known was so hard to please in
the matter of starch; that her master was a lamb in comparison; and did
I not think he was looking ill and overworking himself?

I had some difficulty in finding out to whom she was alluding, but I
imagined she meant her master, who was certainly looking a little thin,
and then she went off on another tack.

'Folks seem mighty curious about you, Miss Ursula; people do say
that only a young lady crossed in love would think of doing such an
out-of-the-way thing as putting up at the White Cottage and nursing
poor people. There was Rebecca Saunders,--you know Rebecca at the
post-office,--she said to me last night, "So your young lady has come,
Mrs. Drabble; the vicar was at the station, I hear, and Dr. Hamilton came
down by the same train: wasn't that curious, now? I am thinking she must
be a mighty independent sort of person to take this work on her; there
has been trouble somewhere, take my word for it, for it is not in young
folks' nature to go in for work and no play."'

'Oh, I mean to play as well as work,' I returned, laughing. 'Don't tell
me any more, Mrs. Drabble; people will talk in a village, but I would
rather not hear what they say.' And then I went back to the study and
made tea for Uncle M