pe of his
head, upon which the Professor found it restful to gaze. He was black,
was Herbert, and was at present clothed in gorgeous blue livery with
gold buttons. He bowed the guests inside and led them through a narrow
hallway to a comfortable room of generous size, the Professor's library.
At one end was a long table, and behind it was Mr. Sprig, clad in a
morning coat. Behind him on the walls were half a dozen diagrams of Man
the Master, designed to gratify students whose thirst was for the
anatomical. Before Mr. Sprig were a pitcher of iced water, a tumbler,
and a sheaf of notes.

Mr. Sprig rose as Nancy and Tom entered and bowed pleasantly, at the
same time waving them to two chairs placed close together before his
table. When they had seated themselves he bowed again, and, without more
ado, began an address. He spoke in a low, deep, if somewhat quavery
voice, and with an elegant ease of manner. It was his purpose, he
explained, to give them an elementary course in the primary systems of
the body, together with two supplementary lectures on hygiene, in order
that they might go out and instruct the poor in the proper care of their
bodies. Tonight he would have only time for the respiratory and
circulatory systems, next time would come the digestive and excretory
tracts, and he hoped to finish in six lectures. It was, of course, a
broad subject and much water had passed under the bridge since his day,
but with their generous help he hoped that the thing might be done.

He talked for fifty minutes, that being a college period, and at its
close he bowed again. He then came from behind the table and shook them
warmly by the hand. "You will forgive a foolish old man, I know. You see
I haven't given a lecture since I resigned eight years ago, and I
thought I'd like to do it up brown. And now, Herbert"--for the elaborate
old man had appeared at the close of the lecture--"please bring in the
things."

The "things" were some little round cup cakes, three wine glasses, and
a large bottle of sauterne.

"The summer we graduated," Mr. Sprig went on, "my classmate Curtis and I
went abroad. We took a walking trip south of Bordeaux, and on that walk
we discovered this wine. I have kept in touch with the people who make
it ever since, and although I shall never get any more, I shall have
enough to last me. You must try a glass, Miss Whitman. I assure you it
will improve all of your systems!"

When Nancy first looked at her wa