These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she eyed the effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still studied the eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the door, and her maid brought her a card the footman handed in. Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and finally glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her gloves and fan from the maid, and descended to the drawing-room. “Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong,” she said, coolly. “I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,” awkwardly and hurriedly began the doctor, “because nothing else would satisfy Swot McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I—He—he is to undergo an operation, and—well, I told him it was impossible, but he still begged me so to ask you, that I hadn’t the heart to refuse him.” [Illustration: “‘I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,’ hurriedly began the doctor”] “An operation!” cried Constance. “Don’t be alarmed. It’s really nothing serious. He—Perhaps you may have noticed how restless and miserable he has been lately. It is due, we have decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been lacerated, and so I am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now pretty keen.” “Oh, I’m so sorry,” exclaimed the girl, regretfully. “I didn’t dream of it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn’t come any more.” “He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came.” “Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him.” “If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are really grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings, and, besides, could not express them, even if they had the words, which they don’t. But if you could hear the little chap sing your praises to the nurses and to me, you would not think him heartless. ‘My loidy’ is his favourite description of you.” “He wants to see me?” questioned the girl, eagerly. “Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant,” explained the doctor, “he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I promised that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not for a moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could yield so far as to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that we are going to do it for his own good, I think it will make him more submissive.” “When do you want me?” asked Miss Durant. “It is—I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital, Miss Durant. It has been regrettably postponed as it is.” The girl stood hesitating for a moment. “But what am I to do about my dinner?”