ur."

It sounded just the thing. Suitable jobs were not plentiful in Cannes,
her three-day search had been sufficient to convince her of that fact.
She hoped she would land this one; if not, it would probably mean New
York again, and the blizzard. She hated to be beaten.

A shadow darkened the glass doors. She sprang to her feet, slightly
disconcerted to feel that the doctor had been silently inspecting her
from without, perhaps for several seconds. Again she was impatient
with herself for the odd suggestion of alarm which came upon her. She
was not usually nervous like this.

What an immense man he was! That was her first thought as he paused
for an instant in the doorway, scrutinising her. Big and rather
clumsily built, with awkward, slow movements. He had a student's
stoop, and his skin was brownish and dull, his whole heavy person
suggesting the sedentary worker. His low forehead, receding into a
bald head, was oddly flattish in shape. It reminded Esther of
something--she couldn't think what. He stood with his head slightly
lowered and regarded her deliberately, appraisingly, before he uttered
a word. She could hear his breathing.

"Good afternoon, Miss..."

He stopped inquiringly.

"My name is Rowe. I've come about the advertisement, doctor."

He approached slowly, showing a sort of lethargic reluctance towards
effort which extended even to the muscles of his almost expressionless
face. To some he might have appeared dull and stupid, but Esther knew
this was not true. There was life in the flicker of his small eyes,
deep-set, bilious in tinge, and as she looked into them she received
the impression of a great inner concentration of energy.

"You are American, I see."

"Well, Canadian, as a matter of fact. I trained in New York."

"A nurse, then. Where did you train?"

"St. Luke's."

She thought this made a good impression.

He made a chary movement of his hand towards a chair and at the same
time sank into a fragile fauteuil, which creaked with his weight. He
sighed, obviously bored with the prospect of the interview.

"What are you doing in France?"

"I came here as companion to a patient of mine who hates travelling
alone. We stopped a week in Paris; then I brought her here, where she
met some friends with whom she went on to Algeria. It was arranged
beforehand. I was only to come as far as Cannes. I've been here a
week now, and I was going back to New York, only----"

"