remarked Arthur, glancing
upward: "there is not a star to be seen, and the wind blows almost a
gale. I hope no patient of mine will want the doctor very badly
to-night," he added with a slight laugh. "Step in out of the wind,
cousin Zoe, or you may be the very one to send for me."

Doing as directed, "No, indeed," she said: "I'm sure I couldn't have the
heart to call anybody up out of a warm bed to face such a cutting wind
as this."

"No, no; never hesitate when there is a real necessity," he returned,
speaking from his seat in the carriage, where he had already taken his
place beside his sister, whom Edward had handed in. "Good-night, and
hurry in, both of you, for my sake if not for your own."

But they lingered a moment till the carriage turned, and drove swiftly
down the avenue.

"I am so glad they came," remarked Zoe, as Edward shut the door and
locked it for the night.

"Yes," he said: "they added a good deal to the pleasure of the evening.
As we couldn't be alone together, three guests were more acceptable than
one."

"Decidedly; and that one was delighted, I'm sure, to have an opportunity
to exercise her conversational gifts for the benefit of a single man
instead of a married one."

"Zoe, love, don't allow yourself to grow bitter and sarcastic," Edward
said, turning toward her, laying a hand lightly, affectionately, upon
her shoulder, and gazing down into her eyes with a look of grave
concern.

She colored under it, and turned away with a pout that almost spoiled
the beauty of her fair face. She was more than ever impatient to be rid
of their self-invited guest.

"She always sets Ned to scolding me," was the bitter thought in her
heart as she went slowly back to the parlor, where they had left Miss
Deane, Edward following, sighing inwardly at the change in his darling
always wrought by that unwelcome presence in the house.

"How the wind roars down the chimney!" Miss Deane remarked as her host
and hostess re-entered the room, where she was comfortably seated in an
easy-chair beside the glowing grate. "I fear to-morrow will prove a
stormy day; but in that case I shall feel all the more delighted with my
comfortable quarters here,--all the more grateful to you, Mr. Travilla,
for saving me from a long detention in one of those miserable little
country taverns, where I should have died of _ennui_."

"You seem kindly disposed, my dear madam, to make a great deal of a
small service," returned Edward ga