efore him at the county
infirmary, could have heard him called "Humpty"!--but to do so they must
also have beheld the softening brow, the relaxing of the stern lips, the
gradual light which crept into the piercing eyes--and only one person
was ever suffered to behold these. Her tender accents unveiled what was
hidden from the world.

"Tired, darling?"

"Well, may-be." Humpty made an effort and roused himself. "Perhaps I am,
a bit. Those idiots at the infirmary let me in for a lot more trouble
than I need have had,--but I daresay it will work out all right. I'm
worried about a new case, too,--however, no shop. Let's gossip.--What
have you been about?"

To meet this invariable question was part of her daily business, and
however trifling the happenings of morning and afternoon might be, they
were taxed to yield something whereby Humpty might be beguiled from his
own thoughts.

To-night, however, was an unlucky night, she had only such very small
beer to chronicle that he soon fell back upon them, and they comprised
the return of General Boldero's widowed daughter, and her probable
future under his roof.

"She won't have a gay time of it--at least she would not, if she had
come empty-handed,--perhaps as things are, it may be different."

"You forget, Humpty, that he always made a fuss about Leonore."

"I don't forget;" the doctor shook his head; "but I remember other
things as well. It's all very well to try to whitewash that old sinner,
but you don't know human nature as I do, my bairn. For that matter, I am
not the only one to say nasty things of old Brown-boots. It is common
talk that for all his posing as the genial squire and jolly
paterfamilias, Brown-boots is as mean a skunk as breathes."

"I know he is rather a martinet at home, but----"

"But what?" He protruded his head eagerly, scenting something in her
hesitation.

"The fault is not all on his side. Sue is straight: she is perfectly
straight----"

"Oh, aye; we know old Sue, dull as ditch-water, but honest. Well?"

"The other two are just a little--sly."

"Sly? You don't say so? I hadn't thought of that. I daresay they are, I
quite believe they are. Sly? And from _you_? Bless my life, they must be
sly indeed for _you_ to say so!" And he chuckled with keen enjoyment.

"What I mean is that they have no sense of duty. They simply pretend to
give in to their father--and of course they are afraid of him--but
behind his back it is a very different st