with such a Richmond in the field, and nothing short of Elizabeth's
engagement to some other man would help matters any. She had been too
long unmarried, anyhow. Maiden aunthood is an unhappy estate, and grows
worse with habit. If I could only find Lyman Wilde and bring him back to
her, or, perhaps, Dr. Denbigh--that was the more immediate resource, and
surely no sacrifice should be too great for a family physician to make
for the welfare of his patients. Maria and I would invite Dr. Denbigh to
dinner and have Aunt Elizabeth as the only other guest. We could leave
them alone on some pretext or other after dinner, and leave the rest to
fate--aided and abetted by Elizabeth herself.

Meanwhile there was Goward still on my hands.

"Well, my boy," I said, patting him kindly on the shoulder, "I hardly
know what to say to you about this thing. You've got yourself in the
dickens of a box, but I don't mind telling you I think your heart is in
the right place, and, whatever has happened, I don't believe you have
intentionally done wrong. Maybe at your age you do not realize that it
is not safe to be engaged to two people at the same time, especially
when they belong to the same family. Scientific heart-breakers, as a
rule, take care that their fiancees are not only not related, but
live in different sections of the country, and as I have no liking for
preaching I shall not dwell further upon the subject."

"I think I realize my position keenly enough without putting you to the
trouble," said Goward, gazing gloomily out of the window.

"What I will say, however," said I, "is that I'll do all I can to help
you out of your trouble. As one son-in-law to another, eh?"

"You are very kind," said he, gripping me by the hand.

"I will go to Mrs. Talbert--she is the best one to talk to--first, and
tell her just what you have told me, and it is just possible that she
can explain it to Peggy," I went on.

"I--I think I could do that myself if I only had the chance," he said,
ruefully.

"Well, then--I'll try to make the chance. I won't promise that I will
make it, because I can't answer for anybody but myself. Some day you
will find out that women are peculiar. But what I can do I will," said
I. "And, furthermore, as the general attorney for the family I will
cross-examine Aunt Elizabeth--put her through the third degree, as it
were, and try to show her how foolish it is for her to make so serious a
matter of a trifling flirtation."