s daughter, till we get well."

"But, doctor,"--exclaimed Helmsley, determined, if possible, to shake
something selfish, commercial and commonplace out of this odd little man
with the faithful canine eyes--"I can't be a burden on her! I've got no
money--I can't pay you for all your care! What you do for me, you do for
absolutely nothing--nothing--nothing! Don't you understand?"

His voice rang out with an almost rasping harshness, and Mr. Bunce
tapped his own forehead gently, but significantly.

"We worry ourselves,"--he observed, placidly--"We imagine what does not
exist. We think that Bunce is sending in his bill. We should wait till
the bill comes, should we not, Miss Deane?" He smiled, and Mary gave a
soft laugh of agreement--"And while we wait for Bunce's bill, we will
also wait for Miss Deane's. And, in the meantime, we must sit quiet."

There was a moment's silence. Helmsley felt a smarting moisture at the
back of his eyes. He longed to pour out all his history to these two
simple unworldly souls,--to tell them that he was rich,--rich beyond the
furthest dreams of their imagining,--rich enough to weigh down the
light-hearted contentment of their lives with a burden of gold,--and
yet--yet he knew that if he spoke thus and confessed himself, all the
sweetness of the friendship which was now so disinterested would be
embittered and lost. He thought, with a latent self-contempt and
remorse, of certain moods in which he had sometimes indulged,--moods in
which he had cynically presumed that he could buy everything in the
world for money. Kings, thrones, governments, might be had for money, he
knew, for he had often purchased their good-will--but Love was a jewel
he had never found in any market--unpurchasable as God! And while he yet
inwardly mused on his position, Bunce bent over him, and taking his thin
wrinkled hand, patted it gently.

"Good-bye for the present, David!" he said, kindly--"We are on the
mend--we are certainly on the mend! We hope the ways of nature will be
remedial--and that we shall pick up our strength before the winter
fairly sets in--yes, we hope--we certainly may hope for that----"

"Mr. Bunce," said Helmsley, with sudden energy--"God bless you!"

CHAPTER XIV

The time now went on peacefully, one day very much like another, and
Helmsley steadily improved in health and strength, so far recovering
some of his old vigour and alertness as to be able to take a slow and
halting daily wa