“If I snore I’ll disturb Miss Rags. She sleeps in the room next mine. She heard me coughing and crying the other night--that’s why she came in to see.” “Miss Rags is young and healthy. A sleepless night will do her no harm, now and then. It might move her to get up and mend her clothes.” “Do you think she ought to mend them really?” he asked wistfully. “I think so certainly.” “You like her, don’t you, Dr Quack?” he asked again, this time sitting up and looking at him intently. “You like her, don’t you? She sings beautifully--about the fairies dancing in the moonlight, and she is good and kind. You don’t mind her coming to see me now and then, do you?” The other smiled. “No, Timothy. She may come as often as she likes, so long as she goes when she isn’t wanted. She looks lively enough to be good company for you in your duller hours. Good-morning! I’ll be round to-morrow, certain sure. Tell her the time, if she comes in again--half-past ten, and if she’s sensible she’ll take the hint.” CHAPTER XI That evening, as was his usual custom, the High Priest went to vespers. St Armand also went, and walked through the city first, entering the Temple just as the service was beginning. The service was exquisite, though short; the singing beautiful, worthy the splendid building; yet the High Priest never heard it, for, as he sat there on his magnificent throne to the side of the golden steps inside the sacred railings, his mind was wandering again over the conversation of the morning. In the early part of the day he had almost forgotten it, but now, as the magic of evening settled, the lights in the Temple, the music, all things subdued brought back to him the utter empty coldness in his heart--the icy burden so intolerable to the Living man. That day he had met a lady, a life-long friend of his--and half-seriously had thought on St Armand’s words, forgetting the chief stipulations. He had found her dull, heavy, flabby, though considered handsome and even clever by the world. Impatiently he snapped his fingers at his guest’s suggestion. Women! to the initiated still more uninteresting than men.