its close,--an hour when people generally were
sitting at dinner.

But what a coquette is that same chance! As he was driving up at the
sidewalk's edge before his patient's door, the Richlings came out of
theirs, the husband talking with animation, and the wife, all sunshine,
skipping up to his side, and taking his arm with both hands, and
attending eagerly to his words.

"Heels!" muttered the Doctor to himself, for the sound of Mrs.
Richling's gaiters betrayed that fact. Heels were an innovation still
new enough to rouse the resentment of masculine conservatism. But for
them she would have pleased his sight entirely. Bonnets, for years
microscopic, had again become visible, and her girlish face was prettily
set in one whose flowers and ribbon, just joyous and no more, were
reflected again in the double-skirted silk _barege_; while the dark
mantilla that drooped away from the broad lace collar, shading, without
hiding, her "Parodi" waist, seemed made for that very street of
heavy-grated archways, iron-railed balconies, and high lattices. The
Doctor even accepted patiently the free northern step, which is commonly
so repugnant to the southern eye.

A heightened gladness flashed into the faces of the two young people as
they descried the physician.

"Good-afternoon," they said, advancing.

"Good-evening," responded the Doctor, and shook hands with each. The
meeting was an emphatic pleasure to him. He quite forgot the young man's
lack of credentials.

"Out taking the air?" he asked.

"Looking about," said the husband.

"Looking up new quarters," said the wife, knitting her fingers about her
husband's elbow and drawing closer to it.

"Were you not comfortable?"

"Yes; but the rooms are larger than we need."

"Ah!" said the Doctor; and there the conversation sank. There was no
topic suited to so fleeting a moment, and when they had smiled all round
again Dr. Sevier lifted his hat. Ah, yes, there was one thing.

"Have you found work?" asked the Doctor of Richling.

The wife glanced up for an instant into her husband's face, and then
down again.

"No," said Richling, "not yet. If you should hear of anything,
Doctor"--He remembered the Doctor's word about letters, stopped
suddenly, and seemed as if he might even withdraw the request; but the
Doctor said:--

"I will; I will let you know." He gave his hand to Richling. It was on
his lips to add: "And should you need," etc.; but there was the wife at
the husb