Then he laughed.

'Oh! because I had to send him away from the Court, you mean? Well! I was what is the expression ?-rather "let in" for that. If he is doing well now he will not bear malice against me.'

Dagmar decided that it was no use trying to impress this young gentleman with any sense of his inconsiderate conduct, so she gave up the championship of Simpson, and the two chattered gaily as they rode along.

These two, so widely differing in many respects, were very much alike in one thing-they were both oddly compounded of youth and age. Maurice's naturally boyish and slow-growing character had been early developed in one or two directions by his wide experience of the world. And Dagmar was in some respects a deep-thinking woman, while her happy carefully-guarded life and high spirits had kept her, in many others, almost a child.

She had never had a companion before who could follow her in her quick flashes from grave to gay, who seemed to understand equally well her habitual mockery of sentiment, and the occasional lapses into it in which she indulged herself, who could, and did, laugh with her, and yet never committed the unpardonable offence of laughing at what in her heart she reverenced. She liked Maurice's companionship therefore well enough; and would have liked it still better, but that in one of her moments of preternaturally keen-wittedness she had found out that the gossips of the neighbourhood had already speculated as to the likelihood of their falling in love' with each other. And at this period of her life Dagmar found something almost insulting in the notion of the love of any mere human young man. The only love stories that could interest her were centuries old, and faintly sweet, like withered rose-leaves. For the 'true knights and lovers' of old-world story she had some feeling, but as yet she had so little value for her own beauty and womanhood that if she might have had her choice she would rather have been the true knight than his ladylove. After all, it is your plain girl who rightly values beauty and grace, and has her dream of—

'A noble lover

On a red-roan steed of steeds.'

The beautiful young queen who may have these things for the mere lifting of a finger, is mostly thinking about something else, and freezes the ardent would-be lover with the unconscious scorn of eyes that do not even see him.

But Dagmar often forgot what the too vivid imagination of the neigbourhood had suggested to her, and then she was merry and gracious, as now.

So they rode on to Shardbrook, through the soft spring weather, and talked of all manner of things. And when a handsome young pair-who might, could, should, and ought to marry-ride close

VOL. 14.

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ᏢᎪᎡᎢ 84.

together in the mellow May sunshine, and talk of all that comes into their hearts, why! then, there is happiness in store for both of them-or long pain for one.

When they reached Shardbrook and found the pretty cottage, standing near the Rectory, to which Simpson had removed, Dagmar was a little surprised to find that Maurice was intending to accompany her in her visit, But, though she was sure that the people would not want to see him, she could not well tell him so; and after all they were sure to be tolerably civil.

So they went together, up the trim-paved pathway between the little box hedges; and Dagmar tapped lightly upon the half-open door with the handle of her riding whip.

No one answered the summons, and after a moment she pushed the door a little wider and peeped in.

'Why, Janie!' she said, entering, are you here all alone?'

Maurice, following her, saw the neatest of cottage-rooms, only differing from the ordinary house-place,' in that there was a small, low, iron bedstead just beneath the window. On the bed lay a child, who, from her size, might have been about ten years old, and from her face might have been at least fifteen. It was thin and worn, pinched and hollow-eyed, marked with the traces of recent tears, too, though just now transfigured by a smile of delight.

'Mother's out,' she said, in answer to Dagmar's inquiry. 'She's only gone for a few minutes, down to the shop.'

Maurice brought out one of the well-polished chairs for Dagmar, and stood leaning against the door, looking at the wan childish face. 'And are you in bed now, always, Janie? Are you worse since you came here ? '

'Yes, please, ma'am,' answered the child shyly. I don't ever get up now.'

'Oh! but that is a pity. How is it, dear? Do you have more pain than you used to have?'

Dagmar had taken off her riding glove, and was stroking the child's hand as she spoke. Janie seemed more intent upon watching the gleam of a ring or two on her visitor's white fingers than on answering questions.

Was it bad just then, when I came in?' persisted Dagmar. 'Please, ma'am, it's always bad-now. I didn't mean to cry, only there was nobody there-and-I don't cry-very often.'

The child's lips quivered as she spoke, and two more tears brimmed over, in piteous contradiction of her brave speech.

'You

'You poor darling!' cried Dagmar, bending over her and laying her soft fresh cheek caressingly against the little pale one. poor darling! I'm sure you don't. You're always my own brave little woman, aren't you? But you shall cry a little now, if it'll make you feel better.'

The tears were in her own eyes; and her other listener, whom she

had forgotten, thought to himself that he had not dreamed that even her voice could be so sweet and tender.

'You're not lying easily, are you, darling?' said Dagmar, after a moment, looking at the erection of pillows that seemed to have slipped somehow all awry.

'I don't know,' answered Janie, looking up. Mother put me straight before she went out. But I've slipped down somehow, and it hurts.'

'But I never

'I wish I dared to move you,' said Dagmar tenderly. did it before, and I'm so afraid of hurting your little back.' Maurice laid his whip across a chair and came a step or two nearer. 'Where does it hurt you, little one?' he asked, in a gentle, matterof-course manner.

'Down here's worst, now,' she answered, laying her hand upon her left side. It used to be only my back, and it wasn't so bad then. But since we came here it hurts nearly always—like as if it was in my leg.'

Dagmar, looking up at Maurice in a little wonder, saw a new look of interest come into his face.

'Does it hurt you when you are going to sleep at night?' he asked. 'Yes,' she answered, with a quick look of surprise. I keep my leg straight down always when I remember, and then it doesn't hurt so much. But when I'm going to sleep I suppose I forget, and let it move-and then it hurts-so bad.'

Her eyes fill with tears again at the mere remembrance. Maurice came to the side of the little bed.

'May I move you, and put you comfortable, Janie?' he said. 'I think I know how.'

Janie opened her large eyes, and looked first at the strange gentleman, and then at Miss Day.' The latter was even more surprised than she was, but would not show it.

'What do you say, Janie?' she said. move you?'

Will you let the gentleman

Janie's shyness had returned, and made her dumb. But she gave a little assenting nod, and Maurice slipped his lithe sinewy hands under her thin little frame with a confidence that seemed to Dagmar most astonishing. He supported her for a moment or two with one open hand, and with the other not only arranged the pillows behind her, but gently felt all over the poor distorted little spine. Then he seemed to make some little experimental motion-Dagmar could hardly tell in what direction-but the child flinched, and he left off instantly, murmuring some tender little German diminutive. He laid her back upon the pillows, bestowing them behind and round her in a way which Janie's face showed to be a blessed relief.

Then he stood upright, and looked round him, with an absorbed business-like air.

'Look here! my little poor one,' he said, his tongue betraying that

he was deep in thought by its tendency to slip into one or other of his two mother-tongues, French or German. Look here! I am going to fasten a clog to one of your little feet, as they do to the horses when we camp out at night. Then the pain will not come, I hope, even when you are going to sleep.'

He was looking round him all the while he was speaking, and as he ended he pounced upon a work-basket that stood in a corner, and drew out a pair of scissors.

'Ask her if she has seen a doctor lately,' he said to Dagmar in French, as he spread out his silk pocket-handkerchief on the table and rapidly divided it into three strips.

'Has Dr. Merivale been to see you lately, Janie?' asked Dagmar. 'Not since we came here,' said the child, with her wise little oldwomanly air. 'Mother says it's such a long way for him to come, and he wasn't doing me any good.'

Meanwhile Maurice had knotted his silken strips together, tested their strength, and fastened them in a peculiar kind of knot round the poor little wasted left ankle. Then he brought out the end of the strip at the foot of the bed, and rose and looked round once more. 'Now for something heavy,' he murmured. Ah! this may do!' He picked up a large round lump of iron ore, used for propping the door open, and weighed it thoughtfully in his hand, while his two companions looked at him, wondering.

'Miss Tyndal,' he said abruptly, have you got a handkerchief?' 'Yes!' said Dagmar, gravely producing one from her little breast pocket.

He took it without apology, tied up the ore in it, and attached it to the strip as it hung just over the foot of the bed. Then, very gently, he let go the weight and let the child feel the full strain of it.

Can you bear that, Kindchen?' he said tenderly.

'Yes, sir,' said Janie, very shyly.

'Well! don't you let any one take it off, until some doctor comes to see you. Good-bye, little one.'

The absorbed professional look dropped from his face, he smiled and nodded to Janie with his usual air of kindly nonchalance, thrust his hands into his coat pockets, and strolled off into the garden. Dagmar talked for a few minutes to her little friend, then went to the door, and looked after him.

'Mr. Claughton,' she said, 'Johnson has some things for Janie in his pocket. Will you ask him to bring them in?'

Maurice went down to the gate, and came back in a moment bringing the little parcels in his own hands.

There is a woman coming-the mother, I believe,' he said, in a rapid undertone. Make her understand that the child must see a doctor.'

Dagmar nodded comprehension, and Maurice drew aside as Mrs. Simpson came up the garden, a little flustered by the apparition of three fine horses at her humble gate.

The young lady talked to her a little while of Janie's health and other things, recommended sending for a doctor as strongly as she could, called the good woman's attention to Mr. Claughton's contrivance, which was not to be interfered with, and finally kissed the child and came away.

'Mr. Claughton!' she said, as they rode through the village, what do you think is the matter with that poor child?'

'Hip and spine,' answered Maurice briefly. The hip disease appears to be the latest development.'

' And will that weight on her foot make her easier?'

Undoubtedly—if they don't put a chair under it at night "to rest her a little," as people have been known to do.'

'It seems very strange,' said Dagmar musingly.

'I can tell you how it is, if you care to know,' answered Maurice, riding a little closer to her side and dropping his voice to a businesslike undertone.

'Please go on,' she said, 'I always like to know "how things are." 'I will be as little technical as I can,' he said, smiling. In cases like this there are two surfaces of diseased bone which can only be kept from touching one another by a constant effort of the muscles. When they touch it is agony. As long as that poor little creature is awake she contrives to keep them apart without knowing how or why. And from sad experience she would keep awake always if she could. But when from exhaustion she begins to drop asleep the muscles contract involuntarily, and then, as she says, it is "very bad!"' 'But she will sleep to-night, you think, without that?' said Dagmar, with her eyes full of tears.

'To-night, I hope, the weight will keep the muscles on the stretch without any effort of her's; and she will sleep until her mother is astonished, and perhaps wakes her to see what is the matter.'

'It is very strange,' said Dagmar again, and even stranger that you should know all this. I beg your pardon! I didn't mean to say anything so rude.'

'Oh! I know what you mean,' answered Maurice lightly. But the fact is, I thought once of being a doctor.'

Dagmar glanced round at him in surprise. This freak of the young master of the Court had never been heard of in England before.

'I studied medicine for two or three years,' he went on, and passed two of the preliminary examinations; but the plan was taken up for one whim, and abandoned for another

He ended abruptly, and his mobile face took an expression of sudden gloom. Dagmar, covertly watching him, thought how little they knew him after all, and ventured to probe a little.

Did you not like the profession when you came to see more of it?' she asked.

'I think sometimes that it is the only thing in the way of work that I could ever care for,' he answered impulsively. But I gave it