Sydney had no love for the gaieties, and especially tried to avoid
their own county member, who showed signs of pursuing her. Her real
delight and enthusiasm were for the surprise parties, to which she
always inveigled her mother when it was possible. Mrs. Evelyn was
not by any means unwilling, but Cecil and Esther loved them not, and
much preferred seeing the Collingwood Street cousins without the
throng of clever people, who were formidable to Esther, and wearisome
to Cecil.
Jock seldom appeared on these evenings. He was working harder than
ever. He was studying a new branch of his profession, which he had
meant to delay for another year, and had an appointment at the
hospital which occupied him a great deal. He had offered himself for
another night-school class, and spent his remaining leisure on Dr.
and Mrs. Lucas, who needed his attention greatly, though Mrs. Lucas
had her scruples, feared that he was overdoing himself, and begged
his mother to prohibit some of his exertions. Dr. Medlicott himself
said something of the same kind to Mrs. Brownlow. "Young men will
get into a rush, and suffer for it afterwards," he said, "and Jock is
looking ill and overstrained. I want him to remember that such an
illness as he had in Switzerland does not leave a man's heart quite
as sound as before, and he must not overwork himself.
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