agined himself having the right to lean toward her
there and kiss that little spot upon her neck or her cheek; and as he
fancied it, was surprised to find his breath come suddenly quick, and a
barely perceptible qualm, as of a certain faintness, thrill him to his
finger-tips; and then, he thought, how would it be if he could, without
fear of rebuff, reach out his arm and put it about her trim, firm
waist, and draw her very close to him, till he should feel the satiny
coolness of her smooth cheek against his; till he could sink his face
in the delicious, fragrant confusion of her hair, then turn that face
to his--that face with its strong, calm mouth and sweet, full lips--
the face of this dear young girl of nineteen, and then--

"I say--I--shall we--let's read again. Let's--let's do something."

"Condy, how you frightened me!" exclaimed Blix, with a great start.
"No, listen: I want to talk to you, to tell you something. Papum and I
have been having some very long and serious talks since you were last
here. What do you think, I may go away."

"The deuce you say!" exclaimed Condy, sitting suddenly upright. "Where
to, in Heaven's name?" he added--"and when? and what for?"

"To New York, to study medicine."

There was a silence; then Condy exclaimed, waving his hands at her:

"Oh, go right on! Don't mind me. Little thing like going to New
York--to study medicine. Of course, that happens every day, a mere
detail. I presume you'll go back and forth for your meals?"

Then Blix began to explain. It appeared that she had two aunts, both
sisters of her father--one a widow, the other unmarried. The widow, a
certain Mrs. Kihm, lived in New York, and was wealthy, and had views on
"women's sphere of usefulness." The other, Miss Bessemer, a little old
maid of fifty, Condy had on rare occasions seen at the flat, where
every one called her Aunt Dodd. She lived in that vague region of the
city known as the Mission, where she owned a little property.

From what Blix told him that evening, Condy learned that Mrs. Kihm had
visited the coast a few winters previous and had taken a great fancy to
Blix. Even then she had proposed to Mr. Bessemer to take Blix back to
New York with her, and educate her to some woman's profession; but at
that time the old man would not listen to it. Now it seemed that the
opportunity had again presented itself.

"She's a dear old lady," Blix said; "not a bit strong-minded, as you
would think,