“You’re implying that I’m shallow,” said the doctor sternly.  “You think I’m a pampered child of luxury, but I’m not!  I just think I’m a pretty ordinary fellow who came in for an extraordinary line of luck.  I would have made a pretty good bluff at supporting myself in any sort of life; as it was, when I was a youngster, growing up, I used to say to myself, ’You think you’re going to be rich, but half the poor men in the world are born rich, anything may happen!’ However, I enjoyed things just the same, and I went to medical college just because Dad said every man ought to be able to support himself.  Then I got interested in the thing, and old Fox was a king to me, and told me I ought to go in for surgery.  My own father was a surgeon, you know.  Some hands are just naturally better for it than others, and his were, and mine are.  And at twenty-five I came of age, and found that my money was pretty safely fixed, and that Dad was kind of counting on my going in with him.  So there you are!  Things just come my way; as I say, I’d have been satisfied with less, but I’ve got in the habit of taking my luck for granted.”

“And some people, like—­well, like my grandmother, for instance, just get in the habit of bad luck,” Julia said, with a sigh.  “And some, like myself,” she added, brightening, “are born in the bad belt, and push into the good!  And we’re the really lucky ones!  I shall never put on a fresh frock, or go downtown with you to the theatre, without a special separate joy!”

Jim said, “You angel!” and as she jumped up—­they had been sitting side by side in the hall at The Alexander—­he caught her around the waist, and Julia set a little kiss on the top of his hair.

“But you do love me, Ju?” Jim asked.

“But I do indeed!” she answered.  “Why do you always ask me in that argumentative sort of way?  But me no buts!”

“Ah, well, it’s because I’m always afraid you’ll stop!” Jim pleaded.  “And I do so want you to begin to love me as much as I do you!”

“You must have had thousands of girls!” Julia remarked, idly rumpling his hair.

“I never was engaged before!” he assured her promptly.  “Except to that Delaware girl, as I told you, and after five years she threw me over for a boy named Gregory Biddle, with several millions, but no chin, Julia, and had the gall to ask me to the wedding!”

“Jim, and you went?”

“Sure I went!” Jim declared.

“Oh, Jim!” and Julia gave him another kiss, through a gale of laughter, and ran off to change her gown and put on her hat.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and they were going to Sausalito.  But first they went downtown in the lazy soft spring afternoon, to buy gloves for Julia and a scarf pin for Richie, who was to be Jim’s best man, and to go into the big railroad office to get tickets for the use of Dr. and Mrs. James Studdiford three days later.

“Where are we going?” Julia asked idly, her eyes moving about the bright pigeonholed office, and to the window, and the street beyond.  Jim for answer put his thumb upon the magic word that stared up at her from the long ticket.