The Argosy — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Isabel Clifford, M.D. 161 I did not know what todo. But Miss Clifford came in, and did everything for her, and gave her medicine, and made her well. She is the doctor you have heard of,” and Mrs. Lawrence hid her face on her husband’s shoulder, as the memory of that dreadful night came over her again. “My darling, I never thought of that,” he said gently. ‘Then: “So Miss Clifford wants her good deeds to be done in secret ?” “Last year the people staying at the hotel at Montreux used to stare at her and point her out so rudely that she cannot bear to let anyone here know. You must never breathe it to Francis, mind !” “It would do Frank good,” began Mr. Lawrence. “"Tom, I have a special reason of my own for wishing him not to know.” “Oh, you designing woman! Is that a secret too?” said her husband, as he rose to carry her chair within doors. #iT. FRANCIS LAWRENCE arrived at Rosenwald the next day, and the elder Miss Clifford fully agreed in his sister-in-law’s good opinion of him. Isabel had long ago warned her aunt that her profession must be kept a secret on these holiday tours. Accordingly the old lady held aloof from all such topics, and found the young man very modest, sensible and obliging, as she told Isabel. Both ladies became more and more intimate with the Lawrences, and several excursions were rade, in which Isabel only could join, for her aunt was well pleased to sit on the terrace for hours at a time knitting, reading and ‘“ think- ing,” as she said. Isabel was always accompanied by Mr. Lawrence, and Francis attended his sister-in-law, of whom he was evidently very fond. Consciously or unconsciously, Mrs. Lawrence talked a great deal of her new friend. Isabel’s singing for Nellie, Isabel’s reading aloud, Isabel’s gentleness, candour, earnestness, fun—all these formed fruitful themes of discourse. ‘To do Mrs. Lawrence justice, she would have talked as ceaselessly to her husband about Isabelif she had been alone with him, but it cannot be denied that she cherished the hope of making her two friends like one another. She was, therefore, greatly delighted when, one day, by some accident, Frank and Isabel went on together, and she was left with her husband. She longed to ex- press her satisfaction, but with the instinct of a womanly woman, she said nothing, and her husband seemed to think only of the thunder- shower that threatened, but happily did not fall. Isabel meanwhile enjoyed her climb. ‘They went too fast for com- fortable conversation, but now and then they interchanged remarks which showed that their thoughts ran in the same channel, and that they readily understood one another. They talked of the people whom they met, and of the sad change which travellers had wrought in the once brave and independent peasantry around. VOL. XLIX. si -\~ L CoOnniclooolKs im