"He always was, my dear madam," said the little doctor. "If you wanted him to keep an appointment in the old college days you had to write it down upon eight pieces of paper, and place one in each of his pockets, and pin the eighth in his hat. Then you might, perhaps, see him at the appointed time." "Oh, no, no, Harry! too bad--too bad!" murmured the Reverend Arthur, smiling and shaking his head. "Well, really, Arthur," said his sister, "I don't think there is much exaggeration in what Dr Bolter says." "I am very sorry," said the Reverend Arthur, meekly. "I suppose I am far from perfect." "My dear old boy, you are perfect enough. You are just right; and though your dear sister here gives you a good scolding sometimes, I'll be bound to say she thinks you are the finest brother under the sun!" Miss Rosebury left her chair with a very pleasant smile upon her lips, and a twinkling in the eyes that had the effect of making her look ten years younger. "I am going into the drawing-room," she said, in a quick little decided way. "Arthur, dear, I daresay Dr Bolter would like to smoke." "But, my dear madam, it would be profanity here." "Then you shall be profane, doctor," said the little lady, nodding and smiling, "but don't let Arthur smoke. He tried once before when he had a friend to dinner, and it made him feel very, very sick." The Reverend Arthur raised his eyebrows in a deprecating way, and then shook his head sadly. "Then I will not lure him on to indulgence in such a bad habit, Miss Rosebury," said the little doctor. "In fact, I feel that I ought not to indulge myself." "Well, I really think it is very shocking, doctor!" said Miss Rosebury, merrily. "You, a medical man, and you have confessed to a love for whiskey, and now for tobacco." "No, no; no, no!" he cried holding up his hands. "They are nauseous medicines that I take to do me good." "Indeed!" said the little lady, lingering in the room, and hanging about her brother's chair as if loth to go; and there was a very sarcastic ring in her voice. "Oh, be merciful, Miss Rosebury!" said the doctor, laughing. "I am only a weak man--a solitary wanderer upon the face of the earth! I have no pleasant home. I have no sister to keep house." "And keep you in order," said the Reverend Arthur, smiling pleasantly. "And to keep me in order!" cried the doctor. "Mine's a hard life, Miss Rosebury, and with all a man's vanity--a little man's vanity, for we little men have a great deal of conceit to make up for our want of stature--I think I do deserve a few creature comforts." "Which you shall have while you stay, doctor; so now light your cigar, for I'll be bound to say you have a store of the little black rolls somewhere about you." "I confess," he said, smiling, "I carry them in the same case with a few surgical instruments." "But I think we'll go into the little greenhouse, Mary," said the Reverend Arthur. "I feel sure Harry Bolter would not mind."