“O, but I will, doctor, if it is only to plague you,” laughed she, retreating a step or two. “Do not! They will injure you.” “These harmless little things?” “They will, indeed.” “You are afraid they will cure me, doctor, and you will lose an interesting patient.” “No; far from it. I never beg for patients.” She turned the bottle to pour some of the globules into her hand. “Have I no influence with you, Miss Hungerford?” pleaded Dr. Lynch. “But these are harmless.” “They are not harmless.” “Mr. Birch takes them.” “They are not harmless to you.” “How pale you are, doctor!” “I am quite well.” “Let me have them,” interposed Dick. “But I am going to take some of them.” “Don’t, Julia, since the doctor objects so strongly.” “I will take them!” “To please me, Julia, do not.” She looked at him. Dick was pale now, as well as the doctor. What had been a pleasant frolic seemed suddenly to have become a very serious affair. Dick’s lips quivered. What was the matter? “Give them to me, Julia,” said the doctor. “Of course I will not take them if you all object,” said she. “Give me the bottle,” repeated Dr. Lynch. But Dick Birch took it out of her hand, and put it in his pocket. “I think my headache is better,” said Julia. “It must have been the odor from the vial that cured me.” Dick looked intensely troubled; so did the doctor. Each gazed at the other. It appeared as though the old doubts, the old suspicions, had been suddenly revived. The ladies went up stairs, and the gentlemen retired to the library, Dick going directly to the office. “Mr. Birch, I hope you will pardon my apparent rudeness,” said the doctor, as Dick joined them. “Don’t mention it, doctor; you are very careful of your patients,” replied Dick. “I always intend to be. Will you allow me to examine those globules?” “I hope you will pardon my apparent rudeness if I refuse,” replied Dick. His answer filled Eugene with consternation, for it certainly boded a quarrel. “If six of those globules cured your headache yesterday, they are not a safe medicine for a delicate female. I should like to analyze those pellets.” “I meant no offence, doctor,” replied Dick. “I took none.” “Do you really wish for the bottle?” “I do--for the purpose I stated.” “You shall have it. I put it in the office. I will go for it.” Dick went to the office. On the desk lay the vial. He poured out the globules into a paper, and refilled it from a larger vial taken from the desk. He rolled up the pellets in the paper, and put them in his pocket. Returning to the library, he handed the bottle to the doctor, who soon after took his leave. “That was a great excitement to grow out of a small affair,” said Eugene. “I hope you will not discuss medical topics again.” “Not so small an affair as it might have seemed,” replied Dick, as he left the house. CHAPTER XXXII. CRIMINAL CARELESSNESS.