me--"

"In the meantime, let us be grateful Alicia didn't put the notion
into your head to ask somebody who might have taken you seriously."

"That means you don't, and won't." He drew a long breath. "But
we're good friends; aren't we, Sophy?"

"If a man never does anything worse than ask a woman to marry him,
he will probably retain her friendship until she dies," I replied.

"Provided she refuses him," the doctor said, gratefully. And bending
down, he kissed me brotherly on the cheek, an honest and resounding
smack; at which opportune moment Alicia walked in.

Wholly unabashed, the doctor spoke pleasantly to Alicia, shook hands
with me effusively, and went off whistling. All was right with the
world. I'd refused him, you understand! Instead of being enraged and
offended, I found myself giggling.

That night, as Alicia didn't come in my room, I went into hers.

"I know what you've come to tell me, Sophy dear," she said,
directly. "I've seen it for some time. And I'm glad as glad--glad
with all my heart, Sophy." Her voice was tenderness itself, her eyes
melted. But the hand on my hand was cold. "I love you a great deal,
Sophy," she whispered. "More than anybody else in the world, I
think."

"And was it because you loved me, dear girl, that you put the absurd
notion of asking me to marry him into Doctor Geddes's head?"

"Absurd notion?" repeated Alicia. "Absurd notion? But he asked you!
Didn't he ask you?"

"As to that, he told me I could marry him if I wanted to," I
admitted. "Oh, Leetchy, it was funny, though! If you could have seen
the poor dear, trying to martyr himself, just to oblige you--"

"You _refused_ him?" breathlessly.

"Of course. There wasn't anything to say but 'No.'"

"But--I saw--"

"You saw him kiss me on the cheek? Honey, that wasn't love: that was
gratitude!"

"I don't understand!" stammered Alicia, twisting her hands. "Why,
you cared for him--I thought you cared."

"Of course I care for him! But not like that! Good heavens, Alicia,
however did you get such a notion? My dear, if I loved you less, or
him more, I should never, never be able to forgive either of you. As
it is, we'll forget it."

At that Alicia began to cry.

"Oh, what have I done?" she whimpered. "Sophy, you don't know--what
I've done!"

"You haven't done anything that can't be undone," said I,
comfortably. "You and I, my dear, fell into a Hynds House maze. Now
we're out of it!" And thinking she would be better