olness in her sending them to him which
he found rather disconcerting. It opened a prospect of unending
domestic tribulation. Laura herself had been an altogether
irrepressible child, loud in voice, restless of movement, tireless of
tongue, insatiable in curiosity, unceasing in mischief. What would his
quiet house be with three editions of Laura running rampant about it?
They would invade his study, disarrange his books, frolic in the
drawing-room, make quiet and peace things of the past. What could he do
with them? What would Mrs. Jessop say? The Doctor shuddered at the
thought; the prospect appalled him.

"You had better get a governess for them," suggested Mrs. Leslie,
briskly.

"A governess!" This was a ray of light, but he was not sure that he did
not prefer darkness. "Oh--a governess?" he repeated, interrogatively.

"Of course! They will be tiresome, you may be sure--all children are,
and Anglo-Indian ones particularly--at least so I should fancy--and you
certainly will not want them disturbing you, while it will never do to
have them running riot over the house. Get a good, sensible,
responsible person, not too young, and you will find that you need
hardly be troubled at all."

The Doctor felt that this counsel was good. It was plain, practical,
feasible. But there remained a difficulty. How was he to become
possessed of the sensible, responsible person who was not too young?

"Advertise," suggested his adviser, tersely.

Of course! How very foolish of him not to have thought of it! The
plainest possible way out of the dilemma.

"Thank you, Mrs. Leslie," said the Doctor, rising and taking up his
hat. "Thank you. I've no doubt that you're perfectly right. I will
advertise."

He shook hands with the ladies--gratefully with the one, indifferently
with the other--and bowed himself out, hurrying to the waiting Patrick,
who had fulfilled his own prophecy in so far that he was by this time
"cowld" in every limb, although his temper was exceedingly warm.

From the window Kate Merritt watched the brougham roll away and then
turned to her sister angrily, tears in her eyes, a hot flush upon her
face. Although she was by nature really obstinate, resolute, and
persistent, she often exhibited upon the surface a childish pettishness
with which her real self was almost absurdly at variance. She spoke now
as a spoilt child might have done.

"How dreadfully disagreeable you are, Maria! It's too bad, I declare! I
belie