s blonde
beauty, or the contemplation of his own frayed cuffs and ragged
buttonholes had been the moving cause; but the result was the same.
Upon this particular afternoon, he had spent an hour in reading over one
of his old favorites; then, seizing his hat and cane, with an air of
desperate resolution, he had hurried out of the house, and up the street
towards the Everetts'.

He was ushered into the parlor by Wang Kum, who assured him that Louise
would soon be at home, and rolled out the great leather-covered chair
from its accustomed corner, in order that the Reverend Gabriel might be
as comfortable as possible, while he awaited her coming. Then he
withdrew, leaving the guest to his meditations.

They were not altogether enjoyable ones, however. Wang Kum had told him
that Louise was riding with Dr. Brownlee, and the Reverend Gabriel, with
the jealous eye of a lover, was not slow to discern a possible rival in
the handsome young man, who had been a constant attendant at the house,
during the past few weeks. Moreover, the room was very warm, and the
Reverend Gabriel was beginning to grow a little uncomfortable, for Wang
Kum, with the keen malice of his race, had carefully arranged the chair
directly opposite the register, which brought the heat from the stove in
the next room. Dr. Hornblower had been feeling rather nervous, all that
day; now he feared that he was becoming feverish. He drew his hand
across his moist brow, and sighed anxiously. Could it be that he was
going to be ill?

At length Louise came in. She looked so bright and pretty in her dark
habit, and with her golden hair loosened by the wind and curling about
her face, that the Reverend Gabriel felt his admiration momentarily
increasing, while he gazed at her. And yet, something in her fresh,
girlish beauty made him long to draw back from his coming interview, as
he rose to greet her, and caught sight of his own dull, brown face in
the mirror above her head.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," Louise said courteously,
while she unbuttoned her gloves and slowly drew them off. "It is such a
glorious day that we stayed out a little longer than we meant to."

"It is a fine day, a very fine one," returned the Reverend Gabriel,
eagerly catching at the safe topic of the weather.

"Yes, and we were shut in so long that I enjoy being out, more than
ever," said Louise, while she speculated vainly as to the doctor's
motive for this call.

"You have