least mind. In fact,
I'm glad you gave me the opportunity to say in so many words that I do not
love her. I've never said it before. I'm glad that I have said it. It
helps, after all."

"You'll be happy yet," she sniffled. "I know you will. The world is full
of good, noble women, and there's one somewhere who will make you glad
that this thing has happened to you. Now, we'll change the subject. Miss
McKane may pop in at any moment, you know. Have you any new patients?"

He smiled again. "No. You are my sole and only, Mrs. Fenn can't persuade
Rumsey to have a thing done to him, and Simmy Dodge refuses to break his
neck for scientific purposes, so I've given up hope. I shall take no more
cases. In a year I may come back from London and then I'll go snooping
about for nice little persons like you who--"

"Simmy Dodge says you are not living at your grandfather's house any
longer," she broke, irrelevantly.

"I am at a hotel," he said, and no more.

"I see," she said, frowning very darkly for her.

He studied her face for a moment, and then arose from the chair beside her
bed. "You may be interested to hear that while I am invited to attend the
wedding to-morrow afternoon I shall not be there," he said, divining her
thoughts.

"I didn't like to ask," she said. The nurse came into the room. "He says
I'm doing as well as could be expected, Miss McKane," she said glibly,
"and if nothing unforeseen happens I'll be dodging automobiles in Fifth
Avenue inside of two weeks. Good-bye, Doctor."

"Good-bye. I'll look in to-morrow--afternoon," he said.

* * * * *

The marriage of Anne Tresslyn and Templeton Thorpe took place at the home
of the bridegroom at four o'clock on the afternoon of the twenty-third. A
departure from the original plans was made imperative at the eleventh hour
by the fact that Mr. Thorpe had been quite ill during the night. His
condition was in no sense alarming, but the doctors announced that a
postponement of the wedding was unavoidable unless the ceremony could be
held in the Thorpe home instead of at Mrs. Tresslyn's as originally
planned. Moreover, the already heavily curtailed list of guests would have
to be narrowed to even smaller proportions. The presence of so many as the
score of selected guests might prove to be hazardous in view of the old
gentleman's state of nerves, not to say health. Mr. Thorpe was able to be
up and about with the aid of the imperturbable Wa