"Oh, I didn't think how that was going to sound!"
Rose's distress was real and the other hastened to say, "Yes, Dr. Bentley is splendid. We used to call them 'David and Jonathan,' for they were always together, and, before Dr. McDonald become engaged, we said that neither would ever marry, since they couldn't marry each other. Now I suppose that Dr. Bentley will be looking around for consolation. Perhaps...."
"Don't be silly," laughed Smiles. But she became suddenly silent again.
CHAPTER XXV
THE FIRST MILESTONE
Three months sped by and were gone like a dream.
Day after day, until should come that longed-for, yet dreaded test, Rose studied with a diligence that delighted the private tutor whom Donald, through Miss Merriman, had secured for her—a young woman who found herself astonished by her pupil's avidity in seeking knowledge.
The passing days were not, however, wholly dedicated to the books which held for Smiles the key to the citadel she sought to possess.