"Oh, you wicked old woman! Ah, you dare to cry, and I'll send you to
bed."
"No, no, auntie, don't, please. What will dear Isabel think? You're
not going to spoil a delightful evening?"
"Of course she is not. Here, old lady; have another glass of claret--
medicinally."
Dr Chester jumped up, gave his sister and the visitor a merry look,
took the claret to the head of the table and refilled his own glass.
But the lady shook her grey sausage curls slowly, and elaborately began
to unfold a large bordered pocket-handkerchief, puckered up her plump
countenance, gazed piteously at the sweet face on her right, bent her
head over to her charming niece on the left, and then proceeded to up a
few tears.
"No, no, no, Fred; not a drop more. It only makes me worse; I can't
help it, my love."
"Yes, you can, old lady. Come, try and stop it. You'll make Bel cry
too."
"I wish she would, Fred, and repent before it's too late."
"What!" cried the doctor.
"Don't shout at me, my dear. I want to see her repent. It's very nice
to see the carriages come trooping, and to know what a famous doctor you
are; but you don't understand my complaint, Fred."
"Oh yes, I do, old lady. Grumps, eh, Laury?"
"No, no, my dear. It's heart. I've suffered too much, and the sight of
Isabel Lee, here, coming and playing recklessly on the very brink of
such a precipice, is too much for me."
The tears now began to fall fast, and the two girls rose from their
seats simultaneously to try and comfort the sufferer.
"Playing? Precipice?" cried the young doctor. "Step back, Bel dear;
you shouldn't. Auntie, what do you mean?"
"Marriage, my dear, marriage," wailed the old lady.
"Fudge?" cried the doctor. "Here, take your medicine. No; I'll pour
you out a fresh glass. You've poisoned that one with salt water."
"I haven't, Fred."
"You have, madam. I saw two great drops fall in--plop. Come, swallow
your physic. Bel, give her one of those grapes to take after it."
"No, no, no!" cried the old lady, protesting. "Don't, Laury;" but her
niece held the glass to her lips till she gulped the claret down, and it
made her cough, while the visitor exchange glances with the doctor.
"I--I didn't want it, Fred; and it's not fudge. Oh, my dear Isabel, be
warned before it is too late. Marriage is a delusion and a snare."
"Yes, and Bel's caught fast, auntie. Just going to pop her finger into
the golden wire."
"Don't, my dear; be warned in time," cried the old lady, piteously. "I
was once as young and beautiful as you are, and I said yes, and was
married, only to be forsaken at the end of ten years, to become a weary,
unhappy woman, with only three thousand four hundred and twenty-two
pounds left; and it's all melting slowly away, while when it's all gone
Heaven only knows what's to become of me."
"Poor old auntie!" said Laura Chester soothingly, taking the old lady's
head on her shoulder; but it would shake all the same.
"I had a house of my own, and now I have come down to keeping my
nephew's. Don't you marry, my poor child: take warning by me. Men are
so deceitful."
"Wrong, auntie. Men were deceivers ever."
"I'm not wrong, Fred. You've been a very good boy to me, but you're a
grown man now, and though I love you I couldn't trust you a bit."
"Thank you, aunt dear."
"I can't, my love, knowing what I do. Human nature is human nature."
"Aunt dear, for shame!" cried Laura.
"No, my dear, it's no shame, but the simple truth, and I always told
your poor father it was a sin and a crime to expose a young man to such
temptation."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the doctor, boisterously. "Here, Bel dear, don't
you trust me."
The young people's eyes met, full of confidence, and the old lady shook
her head again.
"I know what the world is and what men are," she continued, "and nothing
shall make me believe that some of these fashionable patients have
anything the matter with them."
"Oh, you wicked old woman!" cried the doctor.
"I'm not, Fred," she cried angrily.
"Oh yes, you are, old lady. You say I don't understand your complaint;
it's conscience."
"It is not, sir. I've nothing on my conscience at all."
"I don't believe you, auntie," he cried banteringly. "You must have
been a wicked old flirt."
"It is false, sir; and I don't hold with doctors being young and
handsome."
"No; I twig. Repentance. You used to go and see one when you were
young, and give him guineas to feel your pulse."
"How can you say such wicked things, Fred?" cried the old lady, turning
scarlet. "But I will say it now. I'm sure it's not right for you to be
seeing all these fine fashionable ladies, scores of them, every day."
"Do take her upstairs, Laury," said the doctor, merrily. "Help her, Bel
dear. You hear; I'm a horribly wicked man, and so fascinating that the
ladies of Society flock to see me. Now, I appeal to you, dear. Did you
ever hear such a wicked, suspicious old woman?"
"Don't, don't, don't, Fred," sobbed the lady in question. "I only spoke
for your good. But it can't last long now; and when I'm dead and gone
you'll be sorry for all you've said."
"Poor old darling!" said the doctor, affectionately; "she sha'n't have
her feelings hurt. Now then, toddle up to the drawing-room. Lie down a
bit; and have an early cup of tea, Laury."
"No, no, no," sobbed the old lady. "I'm only a poor, worn-out, useless
creature, and the sooner the grave closes over me the better."
She was out at the foot of the stairs, leaning upon her niece's arm,
before she had finished her sentence, and Isabel Lee, half troubled,
half amused, was following through the door, which the doctor kept open,
but he let it go and held out his hands, as the girl looked tenderly up
a him. Then the door swung to, and the next moment she was clasped in
his arms.
"My darling!" he whispered; and then in the silence which followed they
could hear faintly the voice of the old lady on the stairs.
"I'm so sorry, Bel dear," said the doctor tenderly. "She has one of her
fits on to-day. Poor old soul, she has had a great deal of trouble."
"I know, Fred dear. I don't mind."
"But it's rather hard on our visitor, whom we want to entertain--queer
entertainment."
"Don't talk about it, Fred. Let me go now."
"Without any balm for the suffering, deceitful wretch? Just one."
"Well, only one. Come up soon."
It was, as the doctor said, a very tiny one, and then the girl had
struggled free and hurried up to the drawing-room, while the giver went
back to his seat.
"Bless her! I honestly believe she's the most amiable girl in the
world," said the doctor; as he sat sipping his claret. "Only a
fortnight now, and then no more going away. I do love her with all my
heart, and I say devoutly, thank God for giving me the chance of
possessing so good a partner for life."
He sat sipping thoughtfully.
"Bother the old woman!" he cried suddenly. "To break out like that.
Suspicious as ever; but Bel took it the right way. I didn't know I was
such a Lothario. How absurd! Now about to-morrow's engagements. Let's
see."
He took out a memorandum book, wrinkled up his forehead, and the next
minute was deep in thought over first one and then another of the
serious cases in which he had to do battle with the grim Shade, ending
by getting up and pacing the room, forgetful of all social ties and the
presence of his betrothed overhead.
"Oh, Fred!" brought him back to the present.
"Eh? What's the matter, dear?"
"Matter? Well, if ever I have a lover I hope he'll be different to you.
There's auntie fast asleep, and poor Isabel sitting watching the door
with the tears in her eyes."
"Tut-tut-tut!" ejaculated the brother. "Yes; too bad, but I have a very
serious case on hand, dear, and I am obliged to give it a great deal of
careful consideration."
"You're always like that now, Fred," said his sister, pettishly. "I
hope you don't mean to see patients on your wedding-day."
"Oh, hang it! no, Laury. Here, I'll come up and have some music; but
you needn't be so sharp, little one. Gentlemen are allowed to sit over
their wine, and you haven't been gone five minutes."
"Monster!" cried Laura. "It's over half an hour!"
"Oh!" ejaculated the doctor, "get out of the way."
He dashed by his sister, and went up the stair three at a time to enter
the back drawing-room where he was saluted by a snore from the sofa, and
then passed through the folding-doors, his steps inaudible upon the soft
carpet. He stood gazing tenderly at the picture he saw in a great
mirror of a sweet, sad face resting upon its owner's hand; and his
conscience smote him as he saw that the eyes were indeed full of tears.
The next moment there was a faint cry of joy, and the face lit up, for
he had stolen behind, sunk upon one knee, passed his arm round the
slight waist, and was in the act of pressing his lips to those of his
betrothed, when there was a gentle cough, and they started apart, to
turn and see Laura's head between the nearly closed folding-doors, with
a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Oh, Bel! For shame!" she whispered merrily. "You don't seem to take
poor Aunt Grace's words a bit to heart."
"You come in and behave yourself," said the doctor. "Don't you begin
making mischief."
"I'm not coming in, Fred," said the girl, saucily. "I don't like to see
such goings-on. Is that the way people make love?"
The doctor sprang up threateningly and made for the doors, but the head
disappeared.
"She'll never grow into a woman, Bel dear," said the doctor, turning to
her.
"Oh yes, I shall," came from the door, as the head was thrust in again.
"Now I'm going to sit with auntie till she wakes. Go on with your
love-making, Daphnis and Chloe. Oh, I shall be so glad when you've both
come to your senses again."
This time the door closed with a click, and the doctor sank on his knee
again by Isabel, and drew her to him fondly.
"Been thinking of what poor old aunt said, Bel?" he whispered, as her
head sank upon his shoulder.
"No, not at all I only wanted you to come."
"And you trust me fully?"
"Of course, Fred. You know I do."
"And always will?"
"How can you ask me?"
"It is so pleasant to be told that you have the fullest confidence in
your husband to be. Tell me you trust me."
"It is insulting you, Fred," said the girl gently as she gazed in his
eyes. "How could I accept you if I did not know you to be the truest,
bravest--Oh, Fred!"
"I was obliged to stop those flattering lips," he said. "I'm vain
enough of having won my darling, and--Oh, hang it!"
"I beg pardon, sir; I did knock," said the servant. "Urgent, sir. A
lady in your consulting-room."
"All right; down directly," said the doctor, who had started up. "I
say, Bel darling, I must be more professional. You mustn't lock me in
your dear arms like this without you turn the key. I sha'n't be long."
Isabel Lee uttered a low sigh as her betrothed made for the door, and as
he passed out there was the sound of voices in the back drawing-room,
Aunt Grace having finished her nap.
"Who is it, Laury?"
"I don't know, aunt dear; something urgent. Smith said a lady."
"Another lady? and at this time of night?"
"People fall ill at all times, aunt dear," said the girl, coldly.
"Hush! don't say any more please; Isabel will hear you."
"But I can't help it, my dear," said the lady in a peevish whisper,
every word of which reached the visitor's ears. "Oh dear me, I wish
Fred was not so good-looking. Well, it's only another fortnight. I
begin to think he ought to be married at once."