mall-pox and that sort of thing. You
couldn't object to a surgeon, could you?" She spoke very sweetly and
without a trace of ridicule in her manner.

"I have a horror of surgeons," said the other, catching at her purse as it
once more started to slip from her capacious lap. She got it in time.
"Blood on their hands every time they earn a fee. No, thank you. I am not
a sanguinary person."

All of which leads up to the belated announcement that Mrs. Wintermill was
extremely desirous of having the beautiful and wealthy widow of Templeton
Thorpe for a daughter-in-law.

"I suppose you know that James,--but naturally you wouldn't know, having
just landed, my dear Jane. You haven't seen Braden Thorpe, so it isn't
likely that you could have heard. I fancy he isn't saying much about it,
in any event. The world is too eager to rake up things against him in view
of his extraordinary ideas on--"

"You were speaking of James, but _what_ James, Mrs. Wintermill?"
interrupted Anne, sensing.

Mrs. Wintermill lowered her voice. "Inasmuch as you are rather closely
related to Braden by marriage, you will be interested to know that he is
to perform a very serious operation upon James Marraville." There was no
mistaking the awe in her voice.

"The banker?"

"The great James Marraville," said Mrs. Wintermill, suddenly passing her
handkerchief over her brow. "He is said to be in a hopeless condition,"
she added, pronouncing the words slowly.

"I--I had not heard of it, Mrs. Wintermill," murmured Anne, going cold to
the very marrow.

"Every one has given him up. It is terrible. A few days ago he sent for
Braden Thorpe and--well, it was announced in the papers that there will be
an operation to-morrow or the next day. Of course, he cannot survive it.
That is admitted by every one. Mr. Wintermill went over to see him last
night. He was really shocked to find Mr. Marraville quite cheerful
and--contented. I fancy you know what that means."

"And Braden is going to operate?" said Anne slowly.

"No one else will undertake it, of course," said the other, something like
a triumphant note in her voice.

"What a wonderful thing it would be for Braden if he were to succeed,"
cried Anne, battling against her own sickening conviction. "Think what it
would mean if he were to save the life of a man so important as James
Marraville,--one of the most talked-of men in the country. It would--"

"But he will not save the man's life," said Mrs. Wint