From all which it will be seen that our splendid brother thought exclusively of what was best for Elspeth, and was willing that the gentlemen, having served their purpose, should, if it pleased them, go hang.  Also, though he thought out every other possible move for the suitor, it never struck him to compose a successful proposal, for the simple reason that he was quite certain Elspeth would have none of them.  Their attentions pleased her; but exchange Tommy for one of them—­never!  He knew it from her confessions at all stages of her life; he had felt it from the days when he began to be father and mother to her as well as brother.  In his heart he believed there was something of his own odd character in Elspeth which made her as incapable of loving as himself, and some of his devotion to her was due to this belief; for perhaps nothing touches us to the quick more than the feeling that another suffers under our own curse; certainly nothing draws two souls so close together in a lonely comradeship.  But though Tommy had reflected about these things, he did not trouble Elspeth with his conclusions.  He merely gave her to understand that he loved her and she loved him so much that neither of them had any love to give to another.  It was very beautiful, Elspeth thought, and a little tragic.

“You are quite sure that you mean that,” she might ask timidly, “and that you are not flinging away your life on me?”

“You are all I need,” he answered cheerily, and he believed it.  Or, if he was in another mood, he might reflect that perhaps he was abstaining from love for Elspeth’s sake, and that made him cheery also.

And now David Gemmell was the man, and Tommy genially forgave him all else for liking Elspeth.  He invited the doctor, who so obviously distrusted him, to drop in of an evening for a game at the dambrod (which they both abominated, but it was an easy excuse); he asked him confidentially to come in and see Aaron, who had been coughing last night; he put on all the airs of a hail-fellow-well-met, though they never became him, and sat awkwardly on his face.  David always seemed eager to come, and tried to rise above his suspicions of Tommy, as Tommy saw, and failed, as Tommy saw again.  Elspeth dosed the doctor with stories of her brother’s lovely qualities, and Tommy, the forgiving, honestly pitied the poor man for having to listen to them.  He knew that if all went well Gemmell would presently propose, and find that Elspeth (tearful at having to strike a blow) could not accept him; but he did not look forward maliciously to this as his revenge on the doctor; he was thinking merely of what was good for Elspeth.