"]
"I suppose you've come about the gas bill," she said at length, with an
old-womanish air, "but it's no use. Father is out, and I have only
sixpence. It's my own, but you can have it if you promise to take care
of it."
"I'm a doctor, and a friend of your father's," replied Norman, with a
reassuring smile.
The child at once moved aside.
[Sidenote: A Real Live Visitor]
"Please come in. I've just been playing with my dolls for visitors, but
it will be much nicer to have a real live one."
The room the doctor entered was small, but cheerful; the floor
uncarpeted, but clean, and the window framed a patch of sky over the
chimney-pots below. A table stood near the window, by it two chairs on
which lay two dolls.
"Come to the window," requested the child, tap-tapping over the floor.
"Lucretia and Flora, rise at once to greet a stranger," she cried
reproachfully to the dolls, lifting them as she spoke.
She stood waiting until Dr. Norman was seated, then drew a chair facing
him and sat down. Her keen, intelligent glance searched him over, then
dwelt upon his face.
"Are you a good doctor?" she asked.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because father says doctors are good, and I wondered if you were. You
must not mind my dollies being rather rude. It is difficult to teach
them manners so high up."
"How so?"
"Well, you see, they have no society but my own, because they have to be
in bed before father comes home.
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