hand. He looked very handsome, and very pleasant, as he
stood there before her, and his winning ease of manner was enough to
propitiate people of harder temper than the one he was just now dealing
with.

"No indeed!" said Mrs. Derrick; "I remember a great many things about
you,"--(as in truth she did.) "But I daresay you've changed a good deal
since then. You've been gone a great while, Dr. Harrison."

"Do you _hope_ I have changed?--or are you afraid I have?"

"Why I don't think I said I did either," said Mrs. Derrick smiling, for
she felt as if Dr. Harrison was an old acquaintance. "And I suppose it
makes more difference to you than to me, anyway." Which words were not
blunt in their intention, but according to the good lady's habit were a
somewhat unconscious rendering of her thoughts. "How's Miss Sophy,
after her holiday? I always think play's the hardest work that's done."

"I am very sorry you found it so!" said the doctor.

"You needn't be--" said Mrs. Derrick, rocking complacently and making
her knitting needles play in a style that certainly might be called
work,--"I've got over it now. To be sure I was tired to death, but I
like to be, once in a while."

The doctor laughed, as if, in a way, he had found his match.

"And how is Miss Derrick?" he asked. "If she was tired too, it was my
fault."

"I guess that 'll never be one of your faults, Dr. Harrison," said Mrs.
Derrick,--"it would take any amount of folks to tire _her_ out. She's
just like a bird always. O she's well, of course, or I shouldn't be
sitting here."

"And so like a bird that she lives in a region above mortal view, and
only descends now and then?"

"Yes, she does stay upstairs a good deal," said Mrs. Derrick, knitting
away. "Whenever she's got nothing to do down here. She's been down all
the morning."

"I can't shoot flying at this kind of game," said the doctor;--"I'll
endeavour to come when the bird is perched, next time. But in the
meanwhile, Miss Derrick seemed pleased the other night with these
Chinese illuminations--and Sophy took it into her head to make me the
bearer of one, that has never yet illuminated anything, hoping that it
will do that office for her heart with Miss Derrick. The heart will
bear inspection, I believe, with or without the help of the lantern."

And the doctor laid a little parcel on the table. Mrs. Derrick looked
at the parcel, and at the doctor, and knit a round or two.

"I'm sure she'll be very much