“Oh, better, I guess,” Cyrus said. (“I’ll be hanged if I speak to Dr. Lavendar!”)

“That’s good,” said the Captain, beginning to hoist himself up out of his chair. “Going out? Hold hard, and I’ll go ’long. I want to call on Mrs. North.”

Cyrus stiffened. “Cold night, sir,” he remonstrated.

“‘Your granny was Murray, and wore a black nightcap!’” said the Captain; “you are getting delicate in your old age, Cy.” He got up, and plunged[Page 50] into his coat, and tramped out, slamming the door heartily behind him—for which, later, poor Cyrus got the credit. “Where you bound?”

[Page 50]

“Oh—down-street,” said Cyrus, vaguely.

“Sealed orders?” said the Captain, with never a bit of curiosity in his big, kind voice; and Cyrus felt as small as he was. But when he left the old man at Mrs. North’s door, he was uneasy again. Maybe Gussie was right! Women are keener about those things than men. And his uneasiness actually carried him to Dr. Lavendar’s study, where he tried to appear at ease by patting Danny.

“What’s the matter with you, Cyrus?” said Dr. Lavendar, looking at him over his spectacles. (Dr. Lavendar, in his wicked old heart, always wanted to call this young man Cipher;[Page 51] but, so far, grace had been given him to withstand temptation.) “What’s wrong?” he said.

[Page 51]

And Cyrus, somehow, told his troubles.

At first Dr. Lavendar chuckled; then he frowned. “Gussie put you up to this, Cy—rus?” he said.

“Well, my wife’s a woman,” Cyrus began, “and they’re keener on such matters than men; and she said, perhaps you would—would—”

“What?” Dr. Lavendar rapped on the table with the bowl of his pipe, so loudly that Danny opened one eye. “Would what?”

“Well,” Cyrus stammered, “you know, Dr. Lavendar, as Gussie says, ‘there’s no fo—’”

“You needn’t finish it,” Dr. Lavendar interrupted, dryly; “I’ve heard it before. Gussie didn’t say anything[Page 52] about a young fool, did she?” Then he eyed Cyrus. “Or a middle-aged one? I’ve seen middle-aged fools that could beat us old fellows hollow.”

[Page 52]

“Oh, but Mrs. North is far beyond 

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