he pale rheumatic mother of six,
whom Willie first sent home to his father's care. She returned to her
children at Christmas, comparatively a hale woman, capable of making
them and everybody about her twice as happy as before. Another as nearly
like her in bodily condition and circumstances as he could find, took
her place,--with a like result; and before long the healing that hovered
about Priory Leas began to be known and talked of amongst the professors
of the college, and the medical men of the city.

CHAPTER XXIV.

WILLIE'S PLANS BEAR FRUIT.

When his studies were finished, Willie returned to assist his father,
for he had no desire to settle in a great city with the ambition of
becoming a fashionable doctor getting large fees and growing rich. He
regarded the end of life as being, in a large measure, just to take his
share in the general business.

By this time the reputation of the Prior's Well had spread on all sides,
and the country people had begun to visit the Leas, and stay for a week
or ten days to drink of the water. Indeed so many kept coming and going
at all hours through the garden, that the MacMichaels at length found
it very troublesome, and had a small pipe laid to a little stone trough
built into the garden wall on the outside, so that whoever would might
come and drink with less trouble to all concerned.

But Willie had come home with a new idea in his head.

An old valetudinarian in the city, who knew every spa in Europe, wanted
to try that of Priory Leas and had consulted him about it. Finding that
there was no such accommodation to be had as he judged suitable, he
seriously advised Willie to build a house fit for persons of position,
as he called them, assuring him that they would soon make their fortunes
if they did. Now although, as I have said, this was not the ambition of
either father or son, for a fortune had never seemed to either worth
taking trouble about, yet it suggested something that was better.

"Why," said Willie to his father, "shouldn't we restore a bit of the
Priory in such a way that a man like Mr Yellowley could endure it for
a little while? He would pay us well, and then we should be able to do
more for those that can't pay us."

"We couldn't cook for a man like that," said his mother.

"He wouldn't want that," said his father. "He would be sure to bring his
own servants."

The result was that Mr MacMichael thought the thing worth trying, and
resolved to l