hatting for
some time the former said, "I have had the satisfaction this morning,
Miss Hannay, of relieving Mrs. Cromarty's mind of a great burden."

"How was that, Doctor?"

"It was in relation to you, my dear."

"Me, Doctor! how could I have been a weight on Mrs. Cromarty's mind?"

"She sent for me under the pretense of being feverish; said she had a
headache, and so on. Her pulse was all right, and I told her at once I
did not think there was much the matter with her; but I recommended her
to keep out of the sun for two days. Then she begun a chat about the
station. She knows that, somehow or other, I generally hear all that is
going on. I wondered what was coming, till she said casually, 'Do you
know what arrangement Major Hannay has made as to his niece for the
races?' I said, of course, that the Hunters were coming over to stay.
I could see at once that her spirit was instantly relieved of a heavy
burden, but she only said, 'Of course, then, that settles the question.
I had intended to send across to her this morning, to ask if she would
like a seat in my carriage; having no lady with her, she could not very
well have gone to the races alone. Naturally, I should have been very
pleased to have had her with us. However, as Mrs. Hunter will be staying
at the Major's, and will act as her chaperon, the matter is settled.'"

"Well, I think it was very kind of her thinking of it," Isobel said,
"and I don't think it is nice of you, Doctor, to say that it was an
evident relief to her when she found I had someone else to take care of
me. Why should it have been a relief?"

"I have no doubt it has weighed on her mind for the last fortnight," the
Doctor said; "she must have seen that as you were freshly joined, and
the only unmarried girl in the regiment, except her own daughters, it
was only the proper thing she should offer you a seat in her carriage.
No doubt she decided to put it off as late as possible, in hopes that
you might make some other arrangement. Had you not done so, she might
have done the heroic thing and invited you, though I am by no means sure
of it. Of course, now she will say the first time she meets you that she
was quite disappointed at having heard from me that Mrs. Hunter would
be with you, as she had hoped to have the pleasure of having you in her
carriage with her."

"But why shouldn't she like it?" Isobel said indignantly. "Surely I am
not as disagreeable as all that! Come, Doctor!"

Capta