no, not at all, merely overwork, and lack of sleep, and the
suspense--and the reaction. He recovered almost immediately, and one
of the clerks went home with him."

"Has Dr. Moffatt been notified?" she asked.

"Yes, I called him up at once; he'll be at the Mercedes by the time
the patient arrives."

There was a little further conversation on matters of business, and
Kirby would willingly have prolonged it, but his news about Mr. French
had plainly disturbed the lady's equanimity, and Kirby rang off, after
arranging to call to see her in person after business hours.

Mr. Kirby hung up the receiver with something of a sigh.

"A fine woman," he murmured, "I could envy French his chances, though
he doesn't seem to see them--that is, if I were capable of envy toward
so fine a fellow and so good a friend. It's curious how clearsighted a
man can be in some directions, and how blind in others."

Mr. French lived at the Mercedes, an uptown apartment hotel
overlooking Central Park. He had scarcely reached his apartment, when
the doctor arrived--a tall, fair, fat practitioner, and one of the
best in New York; a gentleman as well, and a friend, of Mr. French.

"My dear fellow," he said, after a brief examination, "you've been
burning the candle at both ends, which, at your age won't do at all.
No, indeed! No, indeed! You've always worked too hard, and you've been
worrying too much about the boy, who'll do very well now, with care.
You've got to take a rest--it's all you need. You confess to no bad
habits, and show the signs of none; and you have a fine constitution.
I'm going to order you and Phil away for three months, to some mild
climate, where you'll be free from business cares and where the boy
can grow strong without having to fight a raw Eastern spring. You
might try the Riviera, but I'm afraid the sea would be too much for
Phil just yet; or southern California--but the trip is tiresome. The
South is nearer at hand. There's Palm Beach, or Jekyll Island, or
Thomasville, Asheville, or Aiken--somewhere down in the pine country.
It will be just the thing for the boy's lungs, and just the place for
you to rest. Start within a week, if you can get away. In fact, you've
_got_ to get away."

Mr. French was too weak to resist--both body and mind seemed strangely
relaxed--and there was really no reason why he should not go. His work
was done. Kirby could attend to the formal transfer of the business.
He would take a long jour