back fully dressed. "I must go round to
15, Brunswick Place," he said, hurriedly. "Don't expect me back till
you see me," and then she heard him running downstairs.

"He expects to be detained, so I suppose some poor baby is to enter
this wintry world," she thought, as she composed herself to sleep, but
she little guessed the terribly hard work that was before Marcus.

It was early morning and Martha had already crept softly past her door
in her stocking' feet, as she would have said, so as not to wake Miss
Baby, before Dr. Luttrell let himself in with his latchkey.

He looked sadly jaded, but utterly refused to lie down and have a nap.
"I will have my tub and some breakfast instead," he observed. "They
gave me some hot coffee a couple of hours ago. My word, it is freezing
hard still. Tell Martha to give us a good-sized rasher of ham."

"Is the poor thing all right," asked Olivia presently, when they were
seated at their breakfast, with Dot crawling between them. Then for
the moment Dr. Luttrell looked puzzled.

"What poor thing--oh," with a laugh, "I see what you mean now, but it
was nothing of that sort. I have not had such a business since my
hospital days," he went on; "poor Livy, you would not have slept so
comfortably if you had known. It was a case of delirium tremens; an
elderly man, too, and his poor daughter was frightened out of her wits;
but she behaved splendidly; you women have pluck; I must tell you that
she actually helped me when the man-servant was afraid to come near his
master."

"Oh, Marcus, he might have hurt you," and Olivia turned pale--perhaps
it is as well that doctors' wives know so little about their husbands'
experiences.

"Oh, we had plenty of that sort of business at Bart's," he returned,
coolly; "but I shall have to get him a nurse. I must see after one at
once, or poor Miss Williams will be worn out; will you give me another
cup of tea, Livy?"

"Are they new people too, Marcus, like the Stanwell's?" but Dr.
Luttrell shook his head.

"No, they have lived in the place for years, but Mr. Williams
quarrelled with Dr. Bevan, and his daughter dared not send for him, and
as I was the nearest medical man, the servant came to me; it was just a
fluke, that's all."

"Is there only one daughter, Marcus?"

"Well, my dear, it was not likely that I questioned Miss Williams about
her family, but I imagine she is the only daughter; poor girl, I felt
sorry for her; there have been