"She is perfectly well, perfectly well," he replied.
"She does not look—" began James.
"When you are as old as I am you can venture to diagnose on a woman's looks," said Gordon. "Clara is perfectly well."
James said no more. They walked on in silence under a pale sky. Above a low mountain range on their right was a faint light which indicated the coming of the moon. The ground was frozen in hard ridges. James walked behind the doctor on the narrow blue stone walk which served as sidewalk.
"This town has made no provision whatever for courting couples," said Doctor Gordon suddenly, and to James's astonishment his whole manner and voice had changed. It was far from gloomy. It was jocular even.
James laughed. "Yes, it would be difficult for two to walk arm in arm, however loving," he returned.
"Just so," said the doctor, "and the funny part of it is that this narrow sidewalk was intentional."
"Not for such a purpose?"
"Exactly so. It was given to the town by [pg 051] a rich spinster who died about twenty years ago. It was given in her will on condition that it should not be more than two feet wide."
"For that reason?"