f again; will you
give me a kiss, and make it up"--would he have left her crying, when he
went away? She was crying now.

CHAPTER XXVII. MENTOR AND TELEMACHUS.

If Emily's eyes could have followed Alban as her thoughts were following
him, she would have seen him stop before he reached the end of the road
in which the cottage stood. His heart was full of tenderness and sorrow:
the longing to return to her was more than he could resist. It would be
easy to wait, within view of the gate, until the doctor's visit came
to an end. He had just decided to go back and keep watch--when he heard
rapid footsteps approaching. There (devil take him!) was the doctor
himself.

"I have something to say to you, Mr. Morris. Which way are you walking?"

"Any way," Alban answered--not very graciously.

"Then let us take the turning that leads to my house. It's not customary
for strangers, especially when they happen to be Englishmen, to place
confidence in each other. Let me set the example of violating that rule.
I want to speak to you about Miss Emily. May I take your arm? Thank
you. At my age, girls in general--unless they are my patients--are not
objects of interest to me. But that girl at the cottage--I daresay I
am in my dotage--I tell you, sir, she has bewitched me! Upon my soul, I
could hardly be more anxious about her, if I was her father. And, mind,
I am not an affectionate man by nature. Are you anxious about her too?"

"Yes."

"In what way?"

"In what way are you anxious, Doctor Allday?"

The doctor smiled grimly.

"You don't trust me? Well, I have promised to set the example. Keep your
mask on, sir--mine is off, come what may of it. But, observe: if you
repeat what I am going to say--"

Alban would hear no more. "Whatever you may say, Doctor Allday, is
trusted to my honor. If you doubt my honor, be so good as to let go my
arm--I am not walking your way."

The doctor's hand tightened its grasp. "That little flourish of temper,
my dear sir, is all I want to set me at my ease. I feel I have got hold
of the right man. Now answer me this. Have you ever heard of a person
named Miss Jethro?"

Alban suddenly came to a standstill.

"All right!" said the doctor. "I couldn't have wished for a more
satisfactory reply."

"Wait a minute," Alban interposed. "I know Miss Jethro as a teacher
at Miss Ladd's school, who left her situation suddenly--and I know no
more."

The doctor's peculiar smile made its appearance a