her, and the conduct of the _situation_ be taken out of her hands. She
was little, very slight, very pretty, but her prettiness was peculiar.
The young doctor, accustomed to the fair Saxon version of beauty given by
Bessie Christian, did not at the first glance believe that the wonderful
little person before him possessed any; for she was not only slender,
but _thin_, dark, eager, impetuous, with blazing black eyes and
red lips, and nothing else notable about her. So he thought, gazing
fascinated, yet not altogether attracted--scarcely sure that he was not
repelled--unable, however, to withdraw his eyes from that hurried,
eager little figure. Nothing in the least like her had ever yet appeared
before Dr Rider's eyes.

"We want to inquire about your brother," said the little stranger; "we
know this was to be his address, and we want to know whether he is living
here. His letters were to be sent to your care; but my sister has not
heard from him now for a year."

"Never mind that!--never mind telling that, Nettie," cried the other
behind her. "Oh, sir! only tell me where my poor Fred is?"

"So she began to fear he was ill," resumed the younger of the two,
undauntedly; "though Susan will do nothing but praise him, he has
behaved to her very shamefully. Do you happen to know, sir, where he
is?"

"Did you say Fred--my brother Fred?" cried the poor young doctor in
utter dismay; "and may I ask who it is that expresses so much interest
in him?"

There was a momentary pause; the two women exchanged looks. "I told you
so," cried the eager little spokeswoman. "He never has let his friends
know; he was afraid of that. I told you how it was. This," she continued,
with a little tragic air, stretching out her arm to her sister, and
facing the doctor--"this is Mrs Frederick Rider, or rather Mrs Rider,
I should say, as he is the eldest of the family! Now will you please
to tell us where he is?"

The doctor made no immediate answer. He gazed past the speaker to the
faded woman behind, and exclaimed, with a kind of groan, "Fred's wife!"

"Yes, Fred's wife," cried the poor creature, rushing forward to him;
"and oh! where is he? I've come thousands of miles to hear. Is he ill?
has anything happened to him? Where is Fred?"

"Susan, you are not able to manage this; leave it to me," said her
sister, drawing her back peremptorily. "Dr Rider, please to answer us.
We know you well enough, though you don't seem ever to have heard of us.