"Has he forgotten me? "  she thought,
and clasped her hands together until her
sharp rings drew blood from the soft flesh.

But that night— it was nine o'clock,
Cesare was absent, as he was most evenings
except when ho had company at home,
and Veronica, declining to accompany him,
was at home in solitude—that same night
there came a gentle ring at the bell, and
the servant who answered it presently came
up-stairs with an insolent, half-suppressed
smile of amusement on his face, and
announced "Mr. Plew." Veronica by a
great effort sat still on her accustomed
sofa until the man had disappeared, but
no sooner had he closed the door than she
rushed to the little surgeon, and almost
threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, God bless you for coming!  I was
fretting that you did not write, but it is
better— how much better— that you have
come yourself! I did not dare to hope
that!"

The tears gathered in his eyes. That
she should be so overjoyed to see him!
The fact, thought Mr. Plew in his
unselfishness and humility, was more
eloquent than words to express the utterness
of her desolation.

"Yes, Princess——"

"Call me Veronica."

"Yes, Veronica. I came, because I could
speak to you better than I could write.
And I have much to say."

He looked very pale and woe-begone in
his black clothes.

"I was sorry to hear of your loss," she
said, glancing at his mourning garments.

"Ah, my poor mother! She did not
suffer much. And I— I did what I could
to make her life happy."

"You have only just arrived. You must
want food. Let me get you something."

"I do not feel as though I wanted food,
but on principle, and to set you a good
example, I will try to eat something. It
is not well to fast too long. And if I am
knocked up, I can't do any good."

Veronica gave her orders. There was a
difficulty in executing them. Wine there
was, certainly, of various kinds; but as to
supper, Madame la Princesse did not usually
take supper. They did not know; they
could not say that there was anything
provided!

"Get some supper, immediately," said
Veronica, imperiously.

Her command was literally obeyed. A
nondescript subordinate who served the
servants was despatched to buy some
cooked meat. It was sent up on a porcelain
dish, flanked by two flasks of rare
wine, and served with fine damask, and
silver brave with the showy crest of the
Barlettis. The village surgeon began to
perceive that homely comfort and hospitable
abundance did not always belong to the
mansions of princes. In short, that things
meant for human governance had an
obstinate habit of declining to " govern
themselves"!

"I'm afraid I have given you a good
deal of trouble," said Mr. Plew, meekly.

"You see what kind of a banquet it is I
am able to set before you," said Veronica.
And she added, with a bitter laugh:
" When I used to come to your cottage,
and have tea with your mother, she was
able to give me abundance of sweet,
wholesome, appetising food.  But she was a
poor widow in a country village.  I am a
princess with a grand retinue!  However,
here is something that the cottage could not
furnish.  This is good.  " And she rapidly
poured out two goblets full of foaming
wine, and drank nearly the whole contents
of one at a draught.  Mr. Plew laid down
his knife and fork, aghast.

"Take care, Veronica! That is a
dangerous experiment!  You have tasted no
food, I'll be sworn, since dinner.  And
perhaps you ate but little at dinner?  Am I
not right?"

"Quite right. I never eat now.  I hate
eating."

"Good Heaven!"

"Well— not quite never!  Don't look so.
You make me laugh, in spite of everything,
to see your horror-stricken face!"

But Mr. Plew showed no symptoms of
joining in the laugh.  Timid and self-
distrustful in most things on his own
ground, in matters pertaining to his
profession he could be strong, and decided,
and resolute enough.  What had
contributed to make him so had been that his
practice lay neither among educated persons
who could in some measure be trusted
to understand their own maladies, nor
amongst idle, fanciful, imaginary invalids,
who took to being  "delicate " by way of
amusement, and found life uninteresting
until they could succeed in persuading
themselves that they ran some risk of
losing it; but among the lowest ranks of
the ignorant poor, who had to be cured in
spite of themselves.

"You don't know what you are doing,"
said Mr. Plew, gravely; and, without the
least ceremony, he took the flask away from