-nay, two! before Dr. Renton thought of going home. There was a
patient gained, likely to do Dr. Renton more good than any patient he
had lost. There was a kettle singing on the stove, and blowing off a
happier steam than any engine ever blew on that railroad, whose
unmarketable stock had singed Dr. Renton's fingers. There was a yellow
gleam flickering from the blazing fire on the sober binding of a good
old Book upon a shelf with others, a rarer medical work than ever
slipped at auction from Dr. Renton's hands, since it kept the sacred
lore of Him who healed the sick, and fed the hungry, and comforted the
poor, and who was also the Physician of souls.

And there were other offices performed, of lesser range than these,
before he rose to go. There were cooling mixtures blended for the sick
child; medicines arranged; directions given; and all the items of her
tendance orderly foreseen, and put in pigeon-holes of When and How, for
service.

At last he rose to go. "And now, Mrs. Miller," he said, "I'll come here
at ten in the morning, and see to our patient. She'll be nicely by that
time. And--(listen to those brutes in the street!--twelve o'clock,
too--ah! there's the bell),--as I was saying, my offence to you being
occasioned by your debt to me, I feel my receipt for your debt should
commence my reparation to you; and I'll bring it to-morrow. Mrs. Miller
you don't quite come at me--what I mean is--you owe me, under a notice
to quit, three months' rent. Consider that paid in full. I never will
take a cent of it from you--not a copper. And I take back the notice.
Stay in my house as long as you like; the longer the better. But, up to
this date, your rent's paid. There. I hope you'll have as happy a
Christmas as circumstances will allow, and I mean you shall."

A flush of astonishment--of indefinable emotion, overspread her face.

"Dr. Renton, stop, sir!" He was moving to the door. "Please, sir, _do_
hear me! You are very good--but I can't allow you to--Dr. Renton, we are
able to pay you the rent, and we _will_, and we _must_--here--now. Oh!
sir, my gratefulness will never fail to you--but here--here--be fair
with me, sir, and _do_ take it!"

She had hurried to a chest of drawers, and came back with the letter
which she had rustled apart with eager, trembling hands, and now,
unfolding the single bank-note it had contained, she thrust it into his
fingers as they closed.

"Here, Mrs. Miller"--she had drawn back with her