I’veapatientnearthere。\"Hesmileduponherwithfrankcuriosity，andseemedwillingtodetainher，butatalosshowtodoso。\"IfIhadn’tbeenstupidfrommynapIshouldhaveinferredascientifictrainingfromyourstatementofyourfriend’scase。\"Shestillbelievedthathewaslaughingather，andthatthiswasamockbutshewasstillhelplesstoresentit，exceptbyanassumptionofyetcolderstate。ThishadapparentlynoeffectuponDr。Mulbridge。Hecontinuedtolookatherwithhardlyconcealedamusement，andvisiblytogrowmoreandmoreconsciousofhereleganceandstyle，nowthatshestoodbeforehim。
Therehadbeenatimewhen，inplanninghercareer，shehadimaginedherselfstudyingamasculinesimplicityanddirectnessofaddress；buttheover-successofsomeyoungwomen，herfellowsattheschool，inthisdirectionhaddisgustedherwithit，andshehadperceivedthatafterallthereisnothingbetterforagirl，evenagirlwhoisadoctorofmedicine，thanaladylikemanner。Now，however，shewishedthatshecoulddoorsaysomethingaggressivelymannish，forshefeltherselfdwindlingawaytothemerestfemininity，underascrutinywhichhaditsfascination，whetheragreeableordisagreeable。\"Youmust，\"hesaid，withreallyunwarrantablepatronage，\"havefoundthatthestudyofmedicinehasitsdifficulties，——youmusthavebeenverystronglydrawntoit。\"
\"Ohno，notatall；Ihadratheranaversionatfirst，\"shereplied，withtheinstantsuperiorityofawomanwherethemansuffersanytopictobecomepersonal。\"WhydidyouthinkIwasdrawntoit？\"
\"Idon’tknow——Idon’tknowthatIthoughtso，\"hestammered。\"IbelieveIintendedtoask，\"headdedbluntly；butshehadthesatisfactionofseeinghimredden，andshedidnotvolunteeranythinginhisrelief。
Shedivinedthatitwouldleavehimwithanawkwardsenseofdefeatifhequittedthesubjectthere；andinfacthehaddeterminedthathewouldnot。\"Someofourladiestakeupthestudyabroad，\"hesaid；andhewentontospeak，witharealdeference，oftheeminentwomanwhodidtheAmericannamehonorbythedistinctionsheachievedintheschoolsofParis。