"I believe you are right, doctor; and I will profit by so good an example, and take my sister. The fact is, we young men are too indifferent about our sisters. I stand reproved, and thank you for the reproof."
"It gives me pleasure to hear you speak so, doctor," said Hudson, warmly. "As you say, sisters are too much neglected by young men, who, instead of making them their companions, seek companions anywhere else, and leave them at home, or to go with young men of whose characters very often they know nothing."
"It is too true, and I confess myself guilty of the fault. But I will mend it from this time, and go to see the Misses Harling on some other occasion."
The young physician rose much higher than he had stood before in the estimation of Hudson. His name was Baldwin. He had a fair practice for so young a man, and was generally well-esteemed. Hudson's love of anatomy and surgery attracted Baldwin, and his good qualities made him seek his friendship. While he admired his talents he highly esteemed him as a man.
The tickets for the concert were bought, and Ella gladly accompanied her brother, for whom she had the tenderest and most confiding affection. They had not been seated long in the concert-room, before Hudson noticed Doctor Baldwin enter unaccompanied by any one. He came down the aisle, and seeing Hudson, near whom was a vacant seat, came and sat down in the bench just before him, turning round and bowing as he did so. His eyes rested on the face of Ella for a moment or two, and were then withdrawn. In a little while he leaned over towards Hudson, and said—
"I am not so fortunate as you. My sister happened to have an engagement."
He then looked at Ella, and again at Hudson, as much as to say, "Why don't you introduce me?"
But Hudson, although prepossessed in his favor, did not yet know him well enough to be willing to make him acquainted with Ella, and therefore gave him no introduction. Many times during the evening did Doctor Baldwin turn round to speak to Hudson, and on such occasions he made it a point to obtain a good look at Ella. When she made any remark to her brother on the performance, his ear was bent towards her, and strove to take in every word.
"She's a sweet girl," he said to himself. "I had no idea that Doctor Hudson had a sister like that. No wonder he takes her to concerts. Confound it! Why don't he introduce me? I'm sure I've asked him to do so as plain as looks can ask."
Not long after the performance commenced, Hudson happened to turn his eyes to the side of the room, when they rested upon a young, somewhat pensive face, and a pair of dark blue eyes, fixed earnestly upon him. The face was as familiar as that of his own sister yet not until he had withdrawn his eyes from something fascinating in the gaze of this person, did he remember who the lovely stranger was. No, we will not say stranger either, for it would not do to call Mary Lee a stranger.