"But Arthur is delicate," she faltered. "The station is unhealthy." "Am not I there? Do I not understand your brother thoroughly? Oh! my dear Mary, do not raise obstacles in the way. It is fate. I know it is, in the shape of our Political Resident Harley. He came over with me, and goes back in the same boat. He has had telegrams from the station." "You--you take away my breath, doctor," panted the little lady. "I must have time to think. Oh! no, no, no; it is impossible. Arthur would never consent to go." "If you will promise to be my wife, Mary, I'll make him go!" cried the doctor, excitedly. "No, no; he never would. He could not give up his position here, and I should not allow him. It would be too cruelly selfish on my part. It is impossible; it can never be." The next moment the doctor was alone, for Miss Rosebury had hurried out to go and sob passionately as a girl in her own room, waking up more and more, as she did, to the fact that she had taken the love distemper late in life; but it was none the weaker for being long delayed. "It isn't impossible, my dear," chuckled the doctor, as he rubbed his hands; "and if I know anything of womankind, the darling little body's mine. I hope she won't think I want her bit of money, because I don't." He took a turn up and down the room, rubbing his hands and smiling in a very satisfied way. "I think I can work Master Arthur," he said. "He'll be delighted at the picture I shall paint him of our flora and fauna. It will be a treat for him, and we shall be as jolly as can be. We'll see about duty and that sort of thing. Why, it will be a better post for him ever so much, and he's a splendid old fellow." There was another promenade of the room, greatly to the endangerment of Miss Rosebury's ornaments. Then the doctor slapped one of his legs loudly. "Capital!" he cried. "What a grand thought. What a card to play! That will carry her by storm. I'll play that card at our next interview; but gently, Bolter, my boy, don't be in too great a hurry! She's a splendid specimen, and you must not lose her by being precipitate; but, by Jove! what a capital thought--tell her it will be quite an act of duty to come with me and act a mother's part to those two girls." "She'll do it--she'll do it," he cried, after a pause, "for she quite loves little Grey, and a very nice little girl too. Then it will keep that dark beauty out of mischief, for hang me if I think I could get her over to her father disengaged, and so I told Harley yesterday." The doctor did knock off an ornament from a stand at his next turn up and down the room, breaking it right in two; and this brought him to his senses, as, full of repentance, he sought the Reverend Arthur Rosebury in his study to act as medium and confess his sin. VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWELVE. PLAYING THE CARD.