“Nothing; only—It is just as I said. Now and then I feel a little lonesome.”
The doctor smiled at his own reflection in the mirror.
“I thought Brock and the Frenchman looked out for that, Nancy.”
“They do,” she returned desperately; “and that is just what worries me. It makes me feel as if I needed to have some family back of me.”
Gravely and steadily the doctor looked down into her troubled eyes.
“Has anything—?”
Nancy raised her head haughtily, as she answered him.
“No, daddy; trust me for that. The boys are gentlemen, and, besides, they treat me as if I were a mere cousin, or something else quite unromantic. I like them, and I like to talk with them. It is only—”
Her father understood her.
“I think you do not need to be anxious, Nancy. Over the top of my manuscripts, I keep a sharp eye out for my girl. And, besides, it is a rare advantage for you to have the friendship of the Lady. Even if I were not here, I would trust you implicitly to her care.”