r little nutshell of a
place, and yet I fancy," she said, glancing her eye along the village
street, "people are happy enough in these birdcages."

"They may easily be as happy as people who live in big houses, but what
excuse are you going to make for calling at the doctor's? Do you want
anything?"

"Nothing except to see the house: it is mere curiosity."

"Won't it seem impertinent?"

"Oh no: they ought to think it an honor. We'll ask for Miss Brunton: the
doctor won't be in at this hour."

They were shown into the ordinary sitting-room of the house, in which
was Dr. Brunton engaged in reading the newspapers, but from the news of
the day his thoughts were straying away to the visit he was to make to
his singularly interesting patient at the lodge. Would _she_ be there or
would she not? It was not merely that his eyes were fed by her beauty,
but it seemed to him that custom could not stale her infinite variety:
she had all the qualities that make life noble. He had got to this point
of his meditations when the door opened and the lady walked in.

"How do you do?" she said. "This is my sister, Dr. Brunton. I was sure
you would be out at this hour."

"In general I am, but I have had a most fortunate lazy fit to-day."

"Why, Loo," said her sister, "I don't know how you always come to know
everything. I should not know in the least when Dr. Brunton was likely
to be in or out."

"That's different," said Loo: "I'm intimate with the doctor."

"We called," said Lady Helen, feeling that the visit needed to be
accounted for in some shape, and that her sister was in the humor for
speaking nonsense--"we called to see Miss Brunton: we thought we should
like to know her."

"Dr. Brunton," said Lady Louisa, "the truth is I came to see your house.
I was curious, and I like to gratify myself. I don't see why your house
should not be open to inspection as well as ours: ours is open to the
public two days a week all summer--Wednesdays and Saturdays, I
think--and it is a great nuisance. Have you ever been through it? If
not, I shall be happy to be your guide any day: if every person were as
sick of it as I am, fewer would come to see it."

"Sick of it, are you?" said the doctor.

"Yes, sick. It's just like a well-organized prison, with papa for
jailer--an upright, humane man, no doubt, but always feeling responsible
for his prisoners, and giving them very little indulgence."

"Loo," said Lady Helen, "you talk nonsense.--Yo