Dr. Scott manufactured beautiful phrases as he walked to Thomasina's. He thought of his last visit to her house, when he had been accompanied, when his most polished sentences had hung, unfinished, on the air while Mrs. Scott spoke of matters totally unrelated to the subject in hand. This call would be very different. He hoped that Thomasina would let him sit in the semi-darkness of her parlor, and look out into her garden. He was punctilious about appearances; he had not the least instinct of a Don Juan, and he would have been horrified to have any one suppose that his affections wandered for an instant. But to-night he did not care for appearances. If a suspicious spouse had been upon his track, if the whole village had been at gaze, he would still have gone to call upon Thomasina. She was of Basil Everman's generation, she would be able to talk well about him. She was a keen observer who would have remembered and noted incidents and traits that even his sister might have forgotten. He had many questions to ask; he would be scholarly and elaborate and impressive--Dr. Scott at his best. It would disappoint him keenly to find that Thomasina was not at home, or that there were other callers to claim her attention. But Thomasina was at home and she was alone. She was pale, but paleness was not unbecoming. He looked at her with admiration. She was distinguished, she was a personage, she was the most notable citizen of Waltonville, and he was proud of her friendship. She inquired for Mrs. Scott and for Cora. She was not unaware of Cora's trouble. She spoke of Richard and of the opportunities before him. "He has talent and time and youth and ambition and ample means," said she. "It sounds too promising." "Oh, he'll be chastened, poor lad. We all are, sooner or later!" "Miss Thomasina--" Dr. Scott paused; a sentence hovered upon the edge of recollection; he tried to identify and complete it. Was it something about "a girl to go gypsying with through all the world"? Such a girl he seemed to see before him. "Yes?" said Thomasina encouragingly. "I am to have an extraordinary opportunity thanks to Mrs. Lister." "Yes?" said Thomasina with a little more curiosity. Her heart was still sore at thought of Mary Alcestis. "I am to edit her brother's works!" "What works?" asked Thomasina. "Works which they have found; other stories, poems, translations, an incredibly rich and valuable collection." Thomasina leaned forward, an intensely eager look in her brown eyes. "Works they have found! Where?" "I think they were put away. I think from what Dr. Lister said her grief for her brother was so great that she could not bear to have them touched." "And who has touched them now?" asked Thomasina in a hard voice. "I think--it is my impression--that Dr. Lister found them and persuaded her." Thomasina sank back in her chair. "Did you know Basil Everman well?" asked Dr. Scott. "Yes." Thomasina's voice was now a whisper.