"It needed neither," said Aunt Sophia. "You worked out the union yourselves. She is very fond of you." "Ha-ha-ha!" laughed the doctor harshly. "And you think her the most attractive woman you ever saw." "Granted. But that does not prove that I love her. No; I love my profession. James Scarlett's health is my idol, until I have cured him--if I ever do. Then I shall look out for another patient, Miss Raleigh." "It is my turn now to laugh, doctor. Why, what a transparent man you are!" "I hope so," he replied. "But you will stay to dinner this evening?" "No, madam; I shall go to town." "You will not!" said Aunt Sophia, smiling. "It would be too cowardly for you." "No, no; I must go," he said. "She would make me her slave, and trample upon my best instincts. It would not do, Miss Raleigh. As it is, I am free. Poor enough, heaven knows! but independent, and--I hope--a gentleman." "Of course," said Aunt Sophia gravely. "Granting that I could win her--the idea seems contemptible presumption--what would follow? In her eyes, as well as in those of the whole world, I should have sacrificed my independence. I should have degraded myself; and in place of being spoken of in future as a slightly clever, eccentric doctor, I should sink into a successful fortune-hunter--a man admitted into the society that receives his wife, as her lapdog would be, at the end of a string. I couldn't do it, my dear madam; I could not bear it; for the galling part would be that I deserved my fate." "I hope you do not exaggerate your patients' cases as you do your own, doctor." "No exaggeration, my dear madam. Take another side of the question. Suppose I did sink my pride--suppose my lady did condescend from her high pedestal to put a collar round my neck--how then? What should I be worth, leading such a lapdog existence? What would become of my theories, my efforts to make discoveries in our grand profession? Oh, Miss Raleigh, Miss Raleigh, I did think I had won some little respect from you! What would you say if you saw me lower myself to such an extent as that?" Aunt Sophia smiled. "There would be something extremely droll to a bystander, if he heard all this. You talking of stooping!" "Well, would it not be?" he cried. "With some women, yes; but you don't yet know Lady Martlett.--Oh, most _apropos_: she has come early, so as to have a pleasant afternoon without form. Doctor Scales, you are too late; you will have to stay." "Confound the woman!" cried the doctor, as he saw Lady Martlett, very simply dressed, coming towards the lawn in company with Scarlett and his wife. "I'll tell her you said so." "I'll tell her myself."