a present that Miss Therne here has brought for Tottie," answered
the mother.

"Then Tottie mustn't eat them till she is well. Sugar is bad for
whooping-cough, though, of course, a young lady couldn't be expected to
know that," he added in a voice of gruff apology, then went on quickly,
glancing at the little girl's arm, "No marks, I see. Conscientious
Objector? Or only lazy?"

Then Mrs. Smith fired up and poured out her own sad history and that of
her poor little brother who died, baring her scarred arm in proof of it.

"And so," she finished, "though I do not remember much about it myself,
I do remember my mother's dying words, which were 'to mind what the
doctor had told her, and never to have any child of mine vaccinated, no,
not if they crawled on their knees to ask it of me.'"

"The doctor!" said Merchison with scorn, "you mean the idiot, my good
woman, or more likely the political agitator who would sell his soul for
a billet."

Then Jane rose in wrath.

"I beg your pardon for interrupting you, sir," she said, "but the
gentleman you speak of as an idiot or a political agitator is Dr.
Therne, my father, the member of Parliament for this city."

Dr. Merchison stared at her for a long while, and indeed when she was
angry Jane was beautiful enough to make any one stare, then he said
simply, "Oh, indeed. I don't meddle with politics, so I didn't know."

This was too much for Jane, who, afraid to trust herself to further
speech, walked straight out of the cottage. She had passed down the
model garden and arrived at the model gate when she heard a quick
powerful step behind her, and turned round to find herself face to face
with Dr. Merchison.

"I have followed you to apologise, Miss Therne," he said; "of course I
had no idea who you were and did not wish to hurt your feelings, but I
happen to have strong feelings about vaccination and spoke more roughly
than I ought to have done."

"Other people, sir, may also have strong opinions about vaccination,"
answered Jane.

"I know," he said, "and I know, too, what the end of it all will be,
as you will also, Miss Therne, if you live long enough. It is useless
arguing, the lists are closed and we must wait until the thing is put to
the proof of battle. When it is, one thing is sure, there will be
plenty of dead," he added with a grim smile. Then taking off his hat and
muttering, "Again I apologise," he returned into the cottage.

It seems that for a while Jane w