process. If he does love her--my private opinion is he thinks he does--I
won't have Peggy's whole future wrecked by one of Aunt Elizabeth's
flirtations. The reef is too small for the catastrophe. I shall find
Aunt Elizabeth. Oh yes, I shall find Aunt Elizabeth! I have no more
doubt of that than I have that Matilda is putting too much onion in the
croquettes for Tom this blessed minute. If I find her I shall find the
boy; but what good is that going to do me, if I find either of them or
both of them, if we can't disillusionize the boy?"

"In a word," interrupted the doctor, rather tartly, "all you want of me
is to walk across the troubled stage--"

"For Peggy's sake," I observed.

"Of course, yes, for Peggy's sake. I am to walk across this fantastic
stage in the inglorious capacity of a philanderer."

"That is precisely it," I admitted. "I want you to philander with Aunt
Elizabeth for two days, one day; two hours, one hour; just long enough,
only long enough to bring that fool boy to his senses."

"If I had suspected the nature of the purpose I am to serve in this
complication"--began the doctor, without a smile. "I trusted your
judgment, Mrs. Price, and good sense--I have never known either to fail
before. However," he added, manfully, "I am in for it now, and I would
do more disagreeable things than this for Peggy's sake. But perhaps," he
suggested, grimly, "we sha'n't find either of them."

He retired from the subject obviously, if gracefully, and began to play
with the poodle that had the Pullman permit. I happen to know that if
there is any species of dog the doctor does not love it is a poodle,
with or without a permit. The lady with three chins asked me if my
husband were fond of dogs--I think she said, so fond as THAT. She
glanced at the girl whom the poodle owned.

I don't know why it should be a surprise to me, but it was; that the
chin lady and the poodle girl have both registered at "The Sphinx."

Directly after luncheon, for I could not afford to lose a minute, I went
to Mrs. Chataway's; the agreement being that the doctor should follow me
in an absent-minded way a little later. But there was a blockade on
the way, and I wasn't on time. What I took to be Mrs. Chataway herself
admitted me with undisguised hesitation.

Miss Talbert, she said, was not at home; that is--no, she was not home.
She explained that a great many people had been asking for Miss Talbert;
there were two in the parlor now.

Wh