ft hand, with the little case in it,
close to the folds of her dress.

"I was afraid not. There was a bad storm at Hanaford, and they said
there might be a delay."

At the same moment she found Wyant advancing with extended hand, and
understood that he had concealed the fact of having already seen her.
She accepted the cue, and shook his hand, murmuring: "How do you do?"

Amherst looked at her, perhaps struck by her manner.

"You have not seen Dr. Wyant since Lynbrook?"

"No," she answered, thankful to have this pretext for her emotion.

"I have been telling him that he should not have left us so long without
news--especially as he has been ill, and things have gone rather badly
with him. But I hope we can help now. He has heard that Saint
Christopher's is looking for a house-physician for the paying patients'
wing, and as Mr. Langhope is away I have given him a line to Mrs.
Ansell."

"Extremely kind of you," Wyant murmured, passing his hand over his
forehead.

Justine stood silent. She wondered that her husband had not noticed that
tremulous degraded hand. But he was always so blind to externals--and he
had no medical experience to sharpen his perceptions.

Suddenly she felt impelled to speak "I am sorry Dr. Wyant has
been--unfortunate. Of course you will want to do everything to help him;
but would it not be better to wait till Mr. Langhope comes back?"

"Wyant thinks the delay might make him lose the place. It seems the
board meets tomorrow. And Mrs. Ansell really knows much more about it.
Isn't she the secretary of the ladies' committee?"

"I'm not sure--I believe so. But surely Mr. Langhope should be
consulted."

She felt Wyant's face change: his eyes settled on her in a threatening
stare.

Amherst looked at her also, and there was surprise in his glance. "I
think I can answer for my father-in-law. He feels as strongly as I do
how much we all owe to Dr. Wyant."

He seldom spoke of Mr. Langhope as his father-in-law, and the chance
designation seemed to mark a closer tie between them, to exclude Justine
from what was after all a family affair. For a moment she felt tempted
to accept the suggestion, and let the responsibility fall where it
would. But it would fall on Amherst--and that was intolerable.

"I think you ought to wait," she insisted.

An embarrassed silence settled on the three.

Wyant broke it by advancing toward Amherst. "I shall never forget your
kindness," he said; "and I hope to p