"Miss Faith, have you a cat now?" said the doctor looking over to her.
"No, sir."
"And I have no dog!" said the doctor. "I have only horses. If I could manage to do without animals altogether,—Mrs. Derrick, have you forgiven me?" This last was in a changed tone.
"I don't want to talk about it, doctor," said Mrs. Derrick very soberly.
"About forgiving me?" he said as soberly.
"And I don't mean to."
"Nor I," said the doctor quietly; "but you are going to inflict more punishment on me than I deserve."
"What am I going to do?" said Mrs. Derrick. "If you know, I don't."
"Refuse to give me your hand, perhaps."
"I never did that to anybody, yet," she said pleasantly.