"Well as far as that goes," replied Colin, "he may have a better reason than you imagine."
Mark glanced at Nancy, who had turned a delicate shade of pink.
"Good Lord!" he exclaimed. "You don't mean——"
"Yes, I do," replied Colin; "we fixed it up last night over the bread and milk, and I'm so happy that I could get up and dance round the room."
He stretched out his arm, and taking Nancy's hand across the table, bent over and kissed the tips of her fingers.
"Well, if that isn't the limit!" ejaculated Mark bitterly. "I leave my practice in your hands, trusting to your honesty, and when I come back I find you've pinched the one thing I value most—the only perfect secretary a doctor ever had."
Nancy turned toward him with a startled expression. "Oh," she cried remorsefully, "I never knew you'd look at it like that."
Mark got up from his chair, and stepping toward her with a twinkle in his eyes, laid his hand affectionately on her shoulder.
"My beloved child," he said, "I was only joking. I shall just hate losing you, and so will Mary, but, thank God, we're neither of us quite such selfish pigs as to grudge you the happiness you deserve."
He picked up the champagne bottle and tilted the few remaining drops into his empty glass.