htness of
his grey-green eyes being in peculiar contrast to the blackness of his
hair. She noticed again, too, that the expression of his face when he
smiled was not altogether agreeable, because his teeth were too far
apart; and she also thought his finely-formed hands would have looked
better had they not been so obtrusively white.

"But we have met before," he exclaimed when Beth acknowledged the
introduction. "You are the young lady I helped on the rocks one day,
quite a long time ago now, when you were a little girl."

"I remember," Beth said, noticing that he claimed to have helped her
on that occasion, and remembering also that she had declined his help.

"You never told me, Beth," her mother said reproachfully.

"There was really nothing to tell," he answered, coming to the rescue.

"What a day that was!" Beth observed. "Did you notice the sea? It was
the sort of sea that might make one long to be a crab to live in it.
Though a crab is not the animal that I should specially choose to be.
I long to be a cat sometimes. To be able to fluff out my fur and spit
would be such a satisfaction. There are feelings that can be expressed
in no other way. And then to be able to purr! Purring is the one sound
in nature that expresses perfect comfort and content, I think."

"Beth, don't talk nonsense," her mother said impatiently.

"Oh, it's not nonsense altogether," the doctor interposed. "It is just
cheery chatter, and that is good. Miss Beth will raise your spirits in
no time, or I'm much mistaken." He had watched Beth with gravity while
she was speaking, as one sees people watch an actress critically,
obviously marking her points, but betraying no emotion.

Mrs. Caldwell sighed heavily. "The doctor has been so good, Beth," she
said. "He has come here continually, and done more to cheer me than
anybody."

"Oh now, Mrs. Caldwell, you exaggerate," he remonstrated with a smile.
"But it's my principle, you know, to be cheery. I always say be cheery
whatever happens. It's no use crying over spilt milk!"

"A merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad tires in a mile-a,"

Beth rattled off glibly, and again the doctor considered her.

"Now that's good," he said, just as if he had never heard it before;
"and it's my meaning exactly. Don't let your spirits go down----"

"For there's many a girl, as I know well,
A-looking for you in the town,"

Beth concluded, her spirits rising uproariously.

"Beth!" h