"You would make a grave error if you thought so," I responded, curtly.
A keen and watchful interest flashed over his dark face.
"I should very much like to know what your theories are"--he said,
suddenly--"You interest me greatly."
"I'm sure I do!" I answered, smiling.
He looked me up and down for a moment in perplexity--then shrugged his
shoulders.
"You are a strange creature!" he said--"I cannot make you out. If I
were asked to give a 'professional' opinion of you I should say you
were very neurotic and highly-strung, and given over to self-delusions."
"Thanks!"--and I made him a demure little curtsy. "I look it, don't I?"
"No--you don't look it; but looks are deceptive."
"There I agree with you,"--I said--"But one has to go by them
sometimes. If I am 'neurotic,' my looks do not pity me, and my
condition of health leaves nothing to desire."
His brows met in a slight frown. He glanced at his watch.
"I must go,"--he said--"Miss Harland will be waiting."
"And the electricity will get cold!" I added, gaily. "See if you can
feel my 'neurotic' pulse!"
He took the hand I extended--and remained quite still. Conscious of the
secret force I had within myself I resolved to try if I could use it
upon him in such a way as to keep him a prisoner till I chose to let
him go. I watched him till his eyes began to look vague and a kind of
fixity settled on his features,--he was perfectly unconscious that I
held him at my pleasure,--and presently, satisfied with my experiment,
I relaxed the spell and withdrew my hand.
"Quite regular, isn't it?" I said, carelessly.
He started as if roused from a sleep, but replied quickly:
"Yes--oh yes--perfectly!--I had almost forgotten what I was doing. I
was thinking of something else. Miss Harland--"
"Yes, Miss Harland is ready for you by this time"--and I smiled. "You
must tell her I detained you."
He nodded in a more or less embarrassed manner, and turning away from
me, went rather slowly down the saloon stairs.
I gave a sigh of relief when he was gone. I had from the first moment
of our meeting recognised in him a mental organisation which in its
godless materialism and indifference to consequences, was opposed to
every healthful influence that might be brought to bear on his patients
for their well-being, whatever his pretensions to medical skill might
be. It was to his advantage to show them the worst side of a disease in
order to accentuate his own cleverness in dealing with it,--it served
his purpose to pamper their darkest imaginings, play with their whims
and humour their caprices,--I saw all this and understood it. And I was
glad that so far as I might be concerned, I had the power to master him.
V