"Of course, it is unnecessary to say to you," and she pulled herself up to her full queenly height and spoke with most dignified impressiveness, "that my husband did not call you a 'tooth butcher' and that I did not tell her he had said so. What he did say was merely to repeat jokingly that old jest about a dentist being a 'tooth carpenter.' I forget the way he put it, but it sounded funny to me at the time, and when I was out with Mrs. Caswell in her auto that very afternoon I told her. She laughed, but Mrs. Somerset, who was with us, thought the expression horrid, and said if she were to think of you as a 'tooth carpenter' and not as a good, careful dentist, she would not let you attend her dog. Thus, you see, Doctor, how two harmless little expressions have been perverted into nasty gossip against you. "I cannot tell you of the things that she alleged against you that afternoon or at other times. I did not give heed to them, and I have too much respect for you to repeat them here just now. I am only sorry that we yielded to Mrs. Caswell's insistent urging that we exclude you from the card club this summer. I am sure it was only done because we felt there had been ill feeling between you and her and because she had been the one to start the club and lead it each year." "And I want to add, Harford," said Parkin, heartily, "that you will either be in the club henceforth or there will be no club. Am I not right?" he queried, turning to the Fremonts. The prompt assent from both must have settled Mrs. Caswell's last hope of appeal from a unanimous verdict. She rose and made a sign to her husband. Her blazing anger had given way to a chilly hauteur that showed that, although beaten, she had not hauled down the flag. "I hope your little farce has quite ended," she remarked to Dr. Harford, with exaggerated dignity. "Quite," he replied, with sweet acquiescence. "Then I suppose I will be allowed to go?" "As soon as convenient." "I leave you," she pursued, "in the hands of your friends. Oh! if you only knew the things they have said about you! And now they honey you!" "I am willing to trust them," he said, equably. For the life of her, Mrs. Caswell could think of no other biting thing to say, so she took her departure. "Come, Joseph," she ordered, as she passed down the steps to the hedge-bordered walk. Caswell stopped for an instant to hold out his hand to the dentist. "Sorry, immensely sorry, old chap. Awful mess she's made. If there's any way I can"---- "Joseph!" reiterated Mrs. Caswell from the gateway. And Joseph obeyed. "Have a fresh cigar, Parkin. And you, Fremont," said Dr. Harford, as the six left behind settled back in their chairs and hammock for a good half-hour review of Mrs. Caswell and her mischief-making. "By George! this was an original plan of yours, Harford," exclaimed Fremont. "Indeed it was," murmured little Mrs. Fremont.