"Have you read these?" Dick asked in surprise, turning toward the young woman sitting near by.
"Oh, yes," was the blushing reply. "I have read them all several times, and found them so nice."
"Now jist listen to that, pard," Tom spoke up. "There's something like a woman fer ye. I don't think ye'd find many young women outside readin' sich books. They'd want novels, an' sich like."
"I think I should like novels, too," Nance replied. "I have heard about them, and they must be nice."
"You are better off without many of the novels of to-day," Dick returned. "Such books as these have done me much good. I read as many as I could while at college, but of late years I have had little opportunity for reading."
"Did you read such books as these when you were at college?" Martin asked. "I was of the opinion that you studied only medical works."
"Oh, I read as widely as possible, especially at Kings, away back East, before I went to McGill."
As Dick uttered these words Martin gave a distinct start, and looked searchingly into the young man's face. The mention of the former college brought to his mind many thoughts. He himself had graduated from the same Institution years before, and he knew that it was principally a divinity college, where young men were trained for the Ministry.
"And what course did you take there?" he asked as calmly as possible, although his heart beat faster than usual.
"I took Arts and studied Divinity," Dick responded.