Still no answer from the doctor.  He didn’t act as if he heard, but bowing gravely, he withdrew his head and shut the door.

“O dear, dear!” cried Alexia, when they had all looked at each other a breathing space.  “Why didn’t he speak?  I’d much rather he’d scold like everything than to look like that.  Polly, why don’t you say something?”

“Because there isn’t anything to say.”  Polly got no further, and turned away, suspiciously near to tears.  Was this the first meeting with the girls to which she had looked forward so long?

“To think of that Cathie Harrison making such a breeze,” cried Alexia angrily; “a girl who’s just come among us, as it were, and we only let her in our set because Miss Salisbury asked us to make things pleasant for her.  If it had been any one else who raised such a fuss!”

Meantime Dr. Fisher strode out to the west porch, intending to walk down to his office, and buttoning up his coat as he went along.  As he turned the angle in the drive, he came suddenly upon a girl who had thrown herself down on a rustic seat under a tree, and whose shoulders were shaking so violently that he knew she was sobbing, though he heard no sound.

“Don’t cry,” said the little doctor, “and what’s the matter?” all in the same breath, and sitting down beside her.

Cathie looked up with a gasp, and then crushed her handkerchief over her eyes.  “Those girls in there are perfectly horrid.”  “Softly, softly,” said Dr. Fisher.

“I can’t—­help it.  No matter what I say, they call me names, and I’m tired of it.  O dear, dear!”

“Now see here,” said the doctor, getting up on his feet and drawing a long breath.  “I’m on my way to my office; suppose you walk along with me a bit and tell me all about it.”

Cathie opened her mouth, intending to say, “Oh!  I can’t”—­instead, she found herself silent, and not knowing how, she was presently pacing down the drive by the doctor’s side.

“Polly Pepper!” exclaimed Alexia, as a turn in the drive brought the two figures in view of the music-room windows, “did you ever see such a sight in your life?  Cathie is walking off with Dr. Fisher!  There isn’t anything her tongue won’t say!”

“Did you tell Polly?” cried Jasper, a half-hour later, putting his head into Dr. Fisher’s office.  “Oh! beg pardon; I didn’t know you were busy, sir.”

“Come in,” said the doctor, folding up some powders methodically.  “No, I didn’t tell Polly.”

“Oh!” said Jasper, in a disappointed tone.

“I hadn’t a fair chance”—­

“But she ought to know it just as soon as it’s talked of,” said Jasper, fidgeting at a case of little vials on the table.  “Oh! beg pardon again.  I’m afraid I’ve smashed that chap,” as one rolled off to the floor.  “I’m no end sorry,” picking up the bits ruefully.

“I have several like it,” said the doctor kindly, and settling another powder in its little paper.