in her dispensary. Mrs. Inglethorp replied
that this was an excellent idea, but as she had several letters to write
she would drop us there, and we could come back with Cynthia in the
pony-trap.

We were detained under suspicion by the hospital porter, until Cynthia
appeared to vouch for us, looking very cool and sweet in her long white
overall. She took us up to her sanctum, and introduced us to her fellow
dispenser, a rather awe-inspiring individual, whom Cynthia cheerily
addressed as "Nibs."

"What a lot of bottles!" I exclaimed, as my eye travelled round the
small room. "Do you really know what's in them all?"

"Say something original," groaned Cynthia. "Every single person who
comes up here says that. We are really thinking of bestowing a prize on
the first individual who does _not_ say: 'What a lot of bottles!' And
I know the next thing you're going to say is: 'How many people have you
poisoned?'"

I pleaded guilty with a laugh.

"If you people only knew how fatally easy it is to poison some one by
mistake, you wouldn't joke about it. Come on, let's have tea. We've got
all sorts of secret stories in that cupboard. No, Lawrence--that's the
poison cupboard. The big cupboard--that's right."

We had a very cheery tea, and assisted Cynthia to wash up afterwards. We
had just put away the last tea-spoon when a knock came at the door. The
countenances of Cynthia and Nibs were suddenly petrified into a stern
and forbidding expression.

"Come in," said Cynthia, in a sharp professional tone.

A young and rather scared looking nurse appeared with a bottle which
she proffered to Nibs, who waved her towards Cynthia with the somewhat
enigmatical remark:

"_I_'m not really here to-day."

Cynthia took the bottle and examined it with the severity of a judge.

"This should have been sent up this morning."

"Sister is very sorry. She forgot."

"Sister should read the rules outside the door."

I gathered from the little nurse's expression that there was not the
least likelihood of her having the hardihood to retail this message to
the dreaded "Sister".

"So now it can't be done until to-morrow," finished Cynthia.

"Don't you think you could possibly let us have it to-night?"

"Well," said Cynthia graciously, "we are very busy, but if we have time
it shall be done."

The little nurse withdrew, and Cynthia promptly took a jar from the
shelf, refilled the bottle, and placed it on the table outside the door.

I l