clear off. And yet you persist in these
low, degrading ways. I have advised your
father, and he thinks with me, that there
is but one course to take – to let you
pursue your own way, and extricate
yourself as you can. And when you show
some signs of prudence and amendment, I
may then advise him to come to your
assistance. I have, therefore, written to
these people, declining to interfere. You
must settle with them out of your allowance."

The Doctor perused this letter very
attentively and in deep thought. It indeed
conveyed some new information to him.

"Unnatural, rather," he said; "seems
rather hard on you."

"This is the way I am treated always,"
said the young man, ready almost to cry.

"But I know what's at the bottom of
it. It's all that Randall Morrison, her
brother, who toadies and curries favour
with her, and helps to keep my father
under her thumb."

"Oh, that's the way, is it?" said the
Doctor; " and what do you propose to
do?"

"Why, I'll only be ruined. This Rosenthal
will be down on me at once, and tell
the colonel. But I don't care! What
am I to do? And I so sick and all, to be
harassed in this way."

"Well, it does seem funny," said the
Doctor, " that a young man of your
prospects couldn't have a little money to do
what he liked with, like other young men,
without having his own father set against
him. Of course, I have no business to speak
or advise, not being one of the family —"

"Do, my dear, dear Doctor, help and
advise me; you are so sensible, and know
everything."

"Oh, I declare I could not. It's a very
delicate matter. Mrs. Leader is a great
lady, and seems to control, and she is your
father's wife, and —"

The young man looked rather confounded
at this plain declaration, but remained
silent.

"No," said the Doctor. " Of course
I'm too humble an individual to interfere
between you and your mother; but that's
no reason why I shouldn't strive and help
you in my little way. Now let us see how
this matter stands."

They went into the matter, the Doctor
by adroit examination getting to the root
of the whole. " Very well," he said at the
end. "I see there's one thing to be done.
I must just run up to town, see the
scoundrels, and make a settlement for
you."

The young man was overpowered with
gratitude. The Doctor seemed to him a
sort of guardian angel. He had never
met any one who took such a disinterested
interest in his concerns, and who, at the
same time, had such power and such
mental ability. Others had often volunteered
to do things for him, and arrange
difficulties, but it always turned out to be
for their own advantage.

Suddenly the Doctor was seen at the
window smiling and kissing his hands.
"Yes, pet! Heaven go with you!"

The young man ran over to the window.
"Ah, Miss Katey!" he cried. It was that
young lady tripping along, bound for some
shopping.

"Ah! how slyly she looks up here, my
pretty Katey. That's half an eye for me,
an eye and a half for some one else."

The young man coloured.

"I don't say for you, my boy," went on
the Doctor; " but for any sick creature.
She's like a sister of charity. Whist!
Don't let her see you," went on the Doctor.
"Ah! but what a figure of grace! My
sweet Katey!"

"Oh, call her in! Let her pay me a
visit. I want to speak to her. She must
come in."

The Doctor held him. " Well, you are
a dreadful lad! You have a will of your
own. Now, just nothing of the kind,
master, will do here. It can't be. And
now I'm glad of the opportunity of speaking
to you. It's really not fair. You
know, by this time, what sort of girls they
are – not of the ' garrison hack ' pattern.
They're too nice to be trifled with, or flirted
with. I know the world, and must take
care of them."

A little taken back at this serious
reproof, the young man said: " I'm sure
there's no harm meant; you've been all so
kind to me, and it's very hard that I
couldn't see them, and be with them, like
friends, or like my sisters."

"Sisters!" said the Doctor, with a
comical look in his eye. " Oh, I don't like
that word at all! Keep clear of it, my dear
boy. There's many a deceiving buck, and
wearing Her Majesty's coat, too, who piles
up his flirting and attentions, and when
the big brother or the big father intervenes,
cries out, ' Look on her as a sister,'
and all that. No," added the Doctor,
grandly, " I wouldn't take that from my
own cousin. But now, just to show you