"Let me see," I said; "I cannot give you his character, but I believe his personal appearance I can remember; cheeks like your rusty-coat apples, rusty brown with a touch of red, foxy eyes, slick, _very_ slick hair, as the Yankees say, an inflexible spine, and in one respect only like St. Paul." "Pray what is that?" "Brethren, I came unto you in much _weakness of speech_." Lizzy's eyes snapped, and she looked, for a moment, almost angry. "Then," said she, "I really thought you had some penetration of character, but I must be mistaken. Did you not see the evidence of fine feelings beneath that bashful exterior? And then he was so modest and unassuming; why I no sooner heard his errand than my fancy drew a beautiful picture in perspective. He seemed so much like yourself,--you that we are beginning to love so much, that I thought it would be love at first sight. Father will let him have the office, and then here's the cottage: a nice, snug place it would be for you, and we could have you always with us, and a doctor handy to cure 'the ills to which flesh is heir.'" "You have a vivid imagination, truly; but let me tell you that you are right in supposing that I have very little penetration of character. I have none; but sometimes, though I cannot account for it, I have a strong aversion to a person on the first meeting; and when it is so, I never overcome it." "Nonsense," said Lizzy, "that is all imagination; a belief without reason, but it cannot be so in this case." "We will leave this for the present," I said; "and I will take more particular notice of the Doctor the next time. If you like him, I have no doubt I shall also. But why so disinterested? why not take the good Doctor yourself, and then the office and cottage will follow as a life possession for him?" "Why, don't you know, my dear child, he is not the man for me? I should be the death of so amiable a personage in two years. If I marry again, it must be a man of boldness and spirit. I care not if he have the temper of Bonaparte, if he have his courage and spirit." "And could you endure like Josephine? You forget the broken vows and crushed hopes." A shade passed over her countenance a moment. "Let us not talk about marriage now," said she. "Agreed," I replied. "I must study, and bury all other aspirations for the present in my school." The next day the Doctor took possession of the office, and long rows of vials and boxes of bones usurped the place of law books and deeds. The boy pounded medicines in the morning, and the Doctor played on his flute at night.