"I will ask leave to bring you as a friend," said the latter. "I have begged you to come on my own responsibility."
He wrote a note to Laura, explaining that an old acquaintance, a man of world-wide fame, was spending a couple of days with him, and begged permission to introduce him. He might amuse Arden, he said. He did not mention the doctor's profession. It was just possible that neither Arden nor Laura had ever heard of the man who was so great in a world not theirs. Laura asked them both to tea by way of answer.
As it turned out, the Ardens had a very vague idea that the Frenchman was a man of science. In the course of conversation he admitted that he had studied medicine, and then went on to talk about the latest news from Paris, social, artistic, and literary. Arden was charmed with him, and Laura was really grateful to Ghisleri for helping to amuse her husband.
Would they both come to luncheon the next day? They would, with pleasure, and they went away together.
"Well?" asked Ghisleri, as they walked towards the Pincio in the early dusk, just to breathe the air.
"I think he may live," answered the great man. "I believe it is a trouble of the heart with an almost exhausted vitality."
Laura was left alone with her husband. Whether it was the doctor's personal influence, or whether Arden was really momentarily better, she could not tell, but he looked as he had not looked for two months.
"That man delights me," he said dreamily. "I do not know what there is about him, and it is very foolish—but I fancy that if he were a doctor, he might cure me—or keep me alive longer," he added, with a sort of reluctant sadness.
Laura looked at him in surprise.
"He said he had studied medicine," she answered. "Shall I ask Signor Ghisleri, if, as a friend, he would come and give his opinion?"