ete in all its accessories, who advanced to
him, smiling under her little veil.

"Thank you," he said as he turned and walked beside her. "Is this your
way?"

"I am staying in Oak Street. But it's just as short to go by Maplewood
Avenue."

"Yes; and quieter."

For a few yards they walked on in silence, their long steps falling
naturally into time, though Amherst was somewhat taller than his
companion.

At length he said: "I suppose you know nothing about the relation
between Hope Hospital and the Westmore Mills."

"Only that the hospital was endowed by one of the Westmore family."

"Yes; an old Miss Hope, a great-aunt of Westmore's. But there is more
than that between them--all kinds of subterranean passages." He paused,
and began again: "For instance, Dr. Disbrow married the sister of our
manager's wife."

"Your chief at the mills?"

"Yes," he said with a slight grimace. "So you see, if Truscomb--the
manager--thinks one of the mill-hands is only slightly injured, it's
natural that his brother-in-law, Dr. Disbrow, should take an optimistic
view of the case."

"Natural? I don't know----"

"Don't you think it's natural that a man should be influenced by his
wife?"

"Not where his professional honour is concerned."

Amherst smiled. "That sounds very young--if you'll excuse my saying so.
Well, I won't go on to insinuate that, Truscomb being high in favour
with the Westmores, and the Westmores having a lien on the hospital,
Disbrow's position there is also bound up with his taking--more or
less--the same view as Truscomb's."

Miss Brent had paused abruptly on the deserted pavement.

"No, don't go on--if you want me to think well of you," she flashed out.

Amherst met the thrust composedly, perceiving, as she turned to face
him, that what she resented was not so much his insinuation against his
superiors as his allusion to the youthfulness of her sentiments. She
was, in fact, as he now noticed, still young enough to dislike being
excused for her youth. In her severe uniform of blue linen, her dusky
skin darkened by the nurse's cap, and by the pale background of the
hospital walls, she had seemed older, more competent and experienced;
but he now saw how fresh was the pale curve of her cheek, and how
smooth the brow clasped in close waves of hair.

"I began at the wrong end," he acknowledged. "But let me put Dillon's
case before you dismiss me."

She softened. "It is only because of my interest in that