ked up certain professional phrases, which she used with amusing
seriousness. "It would be active, at any rate."

Grace did not reply. As she stood smoothing the head of the little girl,
who had followed her to the door, and now leaned against her, hiding
her tearful face in Grace's dress, she said, "I don't know of any
homoeopathic physician in this neighborhood. I don't believe there's one
nearer than Boston, and I should make myself ridiculous in calling one
so far for a consultation. But I'm quite willing you should call one,
and I will send for you at once."

"And wouldn't you consult with him, after he came?"

"Certainly not. It would be absurd."

"I shouldn't like to have a doctor come all the way from Boston," mused
Mrs. Maynard, sinking on the lounge again. "There must be a doctor in
the neighborhood. It can't be so healthy as that!"

"There's an allopathic physician at Corbitant," said Grace passively. "A
very good one, I believe," she added.

"Oh, well, then!" cried Mrs. Maynard, with immense relief. "Consult with
him!"

"I've told you, Louise, that I would not consult with anybody. And I
certainly wouldn't consult with a physician whose ideas and principles I
knew nothing about."

"Why but, Grace," Mrs. Maynard expostulated. "Is n't that rather
prejudiced?" She began to take an impartial interest in Grace's
position, and fell into an argumentative tone. "If two heads are
better than one,--and everybody says they are,--I don't see how you can
consistently refuse to talk with another physician."

"I can't explain to you, Louise," said Grace. "But you can call Dr.
Mulbridge, if you wish. That will be the right way for you to do, if you
have lost confidence in me."

"I have n't lost confidence in you, Grace. I don't see how you can talk
so. You can give me bread pills, if you like, or air pills, and I will
take them gladly. I believe in you perfectly. But I do think that in a
matter of this kind, where my health, and perhaps my life, is
concerned, I ought to have a little say. I don't ask you to give up your
principles, and I don't dream of giving you up, and yet you won't just
to please me!--exchange a few words with another doctor about my case,
merely because he's allopathic. I should call it bigotry, and I don't
see how you can call it anything else." There was a sound of voices at
the door outside, and she called cheerily, "Come in, Mr. Libby,--come
in! There's nobody but Grace here," she added,