y.

CHAPTER XCIV.

WHAT DOCTOR STURK BROUGHT TO MIND, AND ALL THAT DOCTOR TOOLE HEARD AT
MR. LUKE GAMBLE'S.

Just as he reached Sturk's door, wagging his head and strutting
grimly--and, palpably, still in debate with Dirty Davy--his thoughts
received a sudden wrench in a different direction by the arrival of Mr.
Justice Lowe, who pulled up his famous gray hunter at the steps of the
house by the church-yard.

'You see, Doctor Toole, it won't do, waiting. The thing's too
momentous.'

And so they walked up stairs and into the drawing-room, and sent their
compliments to Mrs. Sturk, who came down in _deshabille_, with her
things pinned about her, and all over smiles. Poor little woman! Toole
had not observed until now how very thin she had grown.

'He's going on delightfully, gentlemen; he drank a whole cup of tea,
weak of course, Doctor Toole, as you bid me; and he eat a slice of
toast, and liked it, and two Naples biscuits, Mr. Lowe, and I know he'll
be delighted to see you.'

'Very good, Madam, _very_ good,' said Toole.

'And he's looking better already. He waked out of that sweet sleep not
ten minutes after you left this morning.'

'Ay, he was sleeping very quietly,' said Toole to Lowe. 'May we go up,
Ma'am?'

'Oh! he'll be overjoyed, gentlemen, to see you, and 'twill do him an
infinity of good. I can scarce believe my eyes. We've been tidying the
study, the maid and I, and airing the cushions of his chair;' and she
laughed a delighted little giggle. 'And even the weather has taken up
such beautiful sunshine; everything favourable.'

'Well, Doctor Sturk,' said Toole, cheerily, 'we have a good account of
you--a vastly good account, doctor; and, by St. George, Sir, we've been
tidying--'

He was going to say the study, but little Mrs. Sturk put her finger to
her lip in a wonderful hurry, raising her eyebrows and drawing a breath
through her rounded lips, in such sort as arrested the sentence; for she
knew how Barney's wrath always broke out when he thought the women had
been in his study, and how he charged every missing paper for a month
after upon their cursed meddling. But Sturk was a good deal gentler now,
and had a dull and awful sort of apathy upon him; and I think it was all
one to him whether the women had been in the study or not. So Toole said
instead--

'We've been thinking of getting you down in a little while, doctor, if
all goes pleasantly; 'tis a lovely day, and a good omen--see how