his clutch, the
door opened, and there stood the matron, in her big frilled cap.
Alvina glanced at her, flushed crimson and looked down to the man.
She touched his face with her hand.

"Never mind," she said. "It's nothing. Don't think about it."

He caught her hand and clung to it.

"Love me! Love me! Love me!" he cried.

The matron softly closed the door again, withdrawing.

"Love me! Love me!"

Alvina was absolutely dumbfounded by this scene. She had no idea men
did such things. It did not touch her, it dumbfounded her.

The doctor, clinging to her hand, struggled to his feet and flung
his arms round her, clasping her wildly to him.

"You love me! You love me, don't you?" he said, vibrating and beside
himself as he pressed her to his breast and hid his face against her
hair. At such a moment, what was the good of saying she didn't? But
she didn't. Pity for his shame, however, kept her silent, motionless
and silent in his arms, smothered against the blue-serge waistcoat
of his broad breast.

He was beginning to come to himself. He became silent. But he still
strained her fast, he had no idea of letting her go.

"You will take my ring, won't you?" he said at last, still in the
strange, lamentable voice. "You will take my ring."

"Yes," she said coldly. Anything for a quiet emergence from this
scene.

He fumbled feverishly in his pocket with one hand, holding her still
fast by the other arm. And with one hand he managed to extract the
ring from its case, letting the case roll away on the floor. It was
a diamond solitaire.

"Which finger? Which finger is it?" he asked, beginning to smile
rather weakly. She extricated her hand, and held out her engagement
finger. Upon it was the mourning-ring Miss Frost had always worn.
The doctor slipped the diamond solitaire above the mourning ring,
and folded Alvina to his breast again.

"Now," he said, almost in his normal voice. "Now I know you love
me." The pleased self-satisfaction in his voice made her angry. She
managed to extricate herself.

"You will come along with me now?" he said.

"I can't," she answered. "I must get back to my work here."

"Nurse Allen can do that."

"I'd rather not."

"Where are you going today?"

She told him her cases.

"Well, you will come and have tea with me. I shall expect you to
have tea with me every day."

But Alvina was straightening her crushed cap before the mirror, and
did not answer.

"We can see as much as w