"Hello! Oh! Oh! Come up!" Maria turned to them, greatly excited. "It's him. It's Dr. Crossett." "Dr. Crossett!" Mrs. Mooney's face beamed with surprise and pleasure. "We can thank him, too, Nellie." "You can run along out in the kitchen, both of you; that's what you can do," replied Maria firmly. "You can see him afterwards for a minute, but we don't want you here now." "You must not go, Mrs. Mooney," said Dr. Barnhelm kindly; "the doctor will be glad to see Nellie." "Yes, sir. She'll be showing him how strong she is. Why, it will be hard for him to believe it, sir. She can lift most as much as I can. He'll be glad to know that he was right. He said she'd be as good as any of 'em." She followed Nellie to the kitchen, quite the happiest woman in the world; even there in that room she seemed to have left some trace of her happiness behind her, for as Maria looked at the Doctor's face she thought she saw a softer, less heart-broken look in his eyes, and she turned away hopefully to open the door for Dr. Crossett. Surely, she thought, there must be a chance of his doing something to help his friend, or would he, too, feel that she had done wrong in sending for him? That thought made her pause, afraid, but the thought went out of her mind at the first sight of his smiling, kindly face. "Well, Maria?" He took her hand warmly, but there was an anxious question in his tone. "Here he is, Doctor." She showed him into the room where Dr. Barnhelm was standing waiting to greet him. "Martin!" The two men clasped hands warmly. Dr. Barnhelm was greatly affected, but knowing how gladly his friend had made any sacrifice that had been necessary to hurry to him, he tried to say as little as possible. "It is all wrong, Paul. You should not have left your work." "La! I needed a change; the sea air has made me young again. Now--you?" "I--I am well." "So? You do not look it." He turned gravely to Maria. "You have done well. He needed me." "Yes, sir." She was content. She knew now how great a liberty she had taken, but he had told her that she had done well, and she was happy. She smiled at him through her tears as she turned to go, but his voice stopped her. "Maria!" "Yes, Doctor." "There was a sweetheart, eh?" "Why--yes, sir." "Still the faithful sailor?" "Mr. Barnes, sir." "This is for a wedding gift." She took a small package from him, and opening it, stood open-mouthed before a pretty little necklace of French beads. "Oh, Doctor! Oh! I never saw nothing so grand!" "You are a good girl, Maria, and this Mr. Barnes is a lucky man." "Thank you, sir," and she went quietly out of the room, leaving the two men together. "Now, Martin!" He turned to Dr. Barnhelm gravely. "Let us have it out." He seated himself beside him and looked him squarely in the face. "You do not try to live? Eh?" "At least I have not tried to die." "Where is she?" "I do not know." "When I left you, you had not tried to know. Have you seen her?" "No."