"Substantial!" said the doctor; "you look as substantial a
personage as your old friend, the 'faire Una' — just about.
Well, prepare yourself, gentle Saxon, to ride home with me the
day after to-morrow. I'll try a little humanizing regimen with
you."

"I don't think that is possible, uncle Orrin," said Fleda,
gently.

"We'll talk about the possibility afterwards — at present, all
you have to do is to get ready. If you raise difficulties, you
will find me a very Hercules to clear them away — I'm
substantial enough, I can tell you — so it's just as well to
spare yourself and me the trouble."

"There are no difficulties," Mrs. Rossitur and Hugh said, both
at once.

"I knew there weren't. Put a pair or two of clean stockings in
your trunk — that's all you want — Mrs. Pritchard and I will
find the rest. There's the people in Fourteenth street want
you the first of November, and I want you all the time till
then, and longer too. Stop — I've got a missive of some sort
here for you."

He foisted out of his breast-pocket a little package of notes
— one from Mrs. Evelyn, and one from Florence, begging Fleda
to come to them at the time the doctor had named; the third
from Constance: