sterly, or, perhaps, more strictly speaking, north-east. She
had run down the garden to speak to him about some plants, and perhaps
with some intention of intercepting Cyril when he went across to
breakfast, and they had had quite a confabulation on the subject.

But when she got back to the house she found rather a subdued state of
things. Mrs. Ross looked tired; her husband had kept her awake by his
restlessness, and she had got it firmly in her mind that a fit of gout
was impending. Dr. Ross had once had a touch of gout--a very slight
touch, to be sure--but it had given him a wholesome fear of the
complaint, and had implanted in him a deep distrust of other men's port
wine; and his devoted wife had never forgotten the circumstance.

'And I am sure,' she observed in an undertone to her daughter, 'that if
I were not quite certain that there is nothing troubling your
father--for, of course, he would have told me of it at once--I should
have said there was something on his mind, for he tossed and groaned so;
but mark my words, Audrey, it is his old enemy, the gout; and if only I
could induce him to speak to Dr. Pilkington we might ward it off still.'

'What is that you are telling the child, Emmie?' asked the Doctor, who
had very sharp ears. 'Gout! stuff and nonsense! I never was better in my
life.'

'I think your complexion looks a little sallow this morning, John,'
returned Mrs. Ross rather timidly, for she knew her husband's objection
to any form of ailment; 'and I am sure you never closed your eyes all
night.' But at this Dr. Ross pished impatiently, and it was then that
Audrey hazarded her brilliant suggestion about the east wind.

'Michael looks rather limp, too,' she went on; 'and he never could
endure an east wind.'

'Have your own way, Audrey,' returned her cousin good-humouredly; but
neither to her nor to Mrs. Ross did he confess that his night had been
sleepless too. When he had finished his breakfast he went round to the
stables, where Dr. Ross joined him. He had ordered the dog-cart to be
got ready for him, and he told the groom that there was no need to bring
it round to the front door.

Dr. Ross watched him silently as he drew on his driving gloves and
turned up the collar of his coat.

'You will have a cold drive, I am afraid,' he said at last, as Michael
took the reins and the brown mare began to fidget; 'come to my study the
moment you get back.' And Michael nodded.

Much as he disliked the bu