Ruth made a dainty little grimace at that.

“That isn’t a fair way to put it,” she declared.  “If I had been planning to run away with Larry or he with me we would have done it months ago, plumage or no plumage.  I wanted to but he wouldn’t anyway,” she confessed.  “I like this way much, much better though.  I don’t want to be married anywhere except right here in the heart of the House on the Hill.”

She slipped out of her chair and away from Larry’s hands at that and went over to where Doctor Philip sat.

“May we?” she asked like a child asking permission to run out and play.

“It is what we all want more than anything in the world, dear child,” he said.  “You belong with Larry in our hearts as well as in the heart of the House.  You know that, don’t you?”

“I know you are the dearest man that ever was, not even excepting Larry.  And I am going to kiss you, Uncle Phil, so there.  I can call you that now, can’t I?  I’ve always wanted to.”  And fitting the deed to the word Ruth bent over and gave Doctor Philip a fluttering little butterfly kiss.

They rose from the table at that and Ruth was bidden go off to her room and get a long rest after her too exciting morning.  Larry soberly repaired to the office and received patients and prescribed gravely for them just as if his inner self were not executing wild fandangoes of joy.  Perhaps his patients did get a few waves of his happiness however for there was not one of them who did not leave the office with greater hope and strength and courage than he brought there.

“The young doctor’s getting to be a lot like his uncle,” one of them said to his wife later.  “Just the very touch of his hand made me feel better today, sort of toned up as if I had had an electrical treatment.  Queer how human beings can shoot sparks sometimes.”

Not so queer.  Larry Holiday had just been himself electrified by love and joy.  No wonder he had new power that day and was a better healer than he had ever been before.

In the living room Doctor Philip and Captain Annersley held converse.  The captain expressed his opinion that Ruth should go at once to Australia.

“If her brother is dead as we have every reason to fear, Elinor—­Ruth—­is the sole owner of an immense amount of property.  The lawyers are about crazy trying to keep things going without either Roderick or Ruth.  They have been begging me to come out and take charge of things for months but I haven’t been able to see my way clear owing to one thing or another.  Somebody will have to go at once and of course it should be Ruth.”

“How would it do for her and Laurence both to go?”

“Magnificent.  I was hoping you would think that was a feasible project.  They will be glad to have a man to represent the family.  My cousin knows nothing about the business end of the thing.  She has always approached it exclusively from the spending side.  Do you think your nephew would care to settle there?”