"Yes, dear; why?"

"Patients?"

"No; we are going down to Georgie K.'s. Tell your mother to go to bed at
once."

When the two men were out in the street, walking briskly in the keen
frosty air, James ventured a question. "Mrs. Ewing is not well, is she?"
he said. He fairly started at the way in which his question was
received. Doctor Gordon turned upon him even fiercely.

"She is perfectly well, perfectly well," he replied.

"She does not look--" began James.

"When you are as old as I am you can venture to diagnose on a woman's
looks," said Gordon. "Clara is perfectly well."

James said no more. They walked on in silence under a pale sky. Above a
low mountain range on their right was a faint light which indicated the
coming of the moon. The ground was frozen in hard ridges. James walked
behind the doctor on the narrow blue stone walk which served as
sidewalk.

"This town has made no provision whatever for courting couples," said
Doctor Gordon suddenly, and to James's astonishment his whole manner and
voice had changed. It was far from gloomy. It was jocular even.