“Yes, and should you die suddenly, your wife would think Rachael one too many, what with your brood and the Edwardses to boot.”  Mistress Fawcett was nettled by his jibe at the limit of her wisdom.  “I shall leave her with a husband.  To that I have made up my mind.  What have you to say, Archibald?”

This was an advantage which Mr. Hamn never failed to seize; he always agreed with the widow; Dr. Hamilton never did.  Moreover, he was sincerely convinced that—­save, perhaps, in matters of money—­Mary Fawcett could not err.

“I like the appearance of this Dane,” he said, reassuringly, “and his little country has a valiant history.  This young man is quite prince-like in his bearing, and his extreme fairness is but one more evidence of his high breeding—­”

“He looks like a shark’s belly,” interrupted Dr. Hamilton, “I don’t wonder he sickens Rachael.  I have nothing against him but his appearance, but if he came after Kitty I’d throw him out by the seat of his breeches.”

“He never looked at Kitty, at Government House, nor at Mistress Montgomerie’s,” cried Mary.  “You are jealous, Will, because Rachael has carried off the foreign prize.”

Dr. Hamilton laughed, then added seriously, “I am too fond of the girl to forbear to give my advice.  Let her choose her own husband.  If you dare to cut out her future, as if it were one of her new frocks, you have more courage than I. She has more in her than twenty women.  Let her alone for the next five years, then she will have no one to answer to but herself.  Otherwise, my lady, you may find yourself holding your breath in a hurricane track, with no refuge from the storm you’ve whipped up but five feet underneath.  If you won’t give her to me, there are her sisters.  They are all wealthy—­”

“They are years older than Rachael and would not understand her at all.”

“I can’t see why they should not understand her as well as a strange man.”

“He will be her husband, madly in love with her.”

“Levine will never be madly in love with anybody.  Besides, it would not matter to Rachael if her sisters did not understand her; she has too strong a brain not to be independent of the ordinary female nonsense; moreover, she has a fine disposition and her own property.  But if her husband did not understand her,—­in other words, if their tastes proved as opposite as their temperaments,—­it would make a vast deal of difference.  Sisters can be got rid of, but husbands—­well, you know the difficulties.”

“I will think over all you have said,” replied Mary, with sudden humility; she had great respect for the doctor.  “But don’t you say a word to Rachael.”

“I’m far too much afraid of you for that.  But I wish that Will were home or Andrew old enough.  I’d set one of them on to cut this Dane out.  Well, I must go; send for me whenever you are in need of advice,” and with a parting laugh he strode out of the house and roared to the darkey to come and fasten his spurs.