o you, that I may have given you
a false impression of the man by dwelling too much on those incidents
in which he has shown the strange and violent side of his character, and
omitting the stretches between where his wisdom and judgment have had a
chance. His conversation when he does not fly off at a tangent is
full of pith and idea. "The greatest monument ever erected to Napoleon
Buonaparte was the British National debt," said he yesterday. Again,
"We must never forget that the principal export of Great Britain to the
United States IS the United States." Again, speaking of Christianity,
"What is intellectually unsound cannot be morally sound." He shoots off
a whole column of aphorisms in a single evening. I should like to have
a man with a note book always beside him to gather up his waste. No; you
must not let me give you a false impression of the man's capacity.
On the other hand, it would be dishonest to deny that I think him
thoroughly unscrupulous, and full of very sinister traits. I am much
mistaken, however, if he has not fine strata in his nature. He is
capable of rising to heights as well as of sinking to depths.

Well, when we had breakfasted we got into the carriage and drove off to
the place of business.

"I suppose you are surprised at Hetty coming with us, said Cullingworth,
slapping me on the knee. Hetty, Munro is wondering what the devil you
are here for, only he is too polite to ask."

In fact, it HAD struck me as rather strange that she should, as a matter
of course, accompany us to business.

"You'll see when we get there," he cried chuckling. "We run this affair
on lines of our own."

It was not very far, and we soon found ourselves outside a square
whitewashed building, which had a huge "Dr. Cullingworth" on a great
brass plate at the side of the door. Underneath was printed "May be
consulted gratis from ten to four." The door was open, and I caught a
glimpse of a crowd of people waiting in the hall.

"How many here?" asked Cullingworth of the page boy.

"A hundred and forty, sir."

"All the waiting rooms full?"

"Yes, sir."

"Courtyard full?

"Yes, sir."

"Stable full?"

"Yes, sir."

"Coach-house full?"

"There's still room in the coach-house, sir."

"Ah, I'm sorry we haven't got a crowded day for you, Munro," said he.
"Of course, we can't command these things, and must take them as they
come. Now then, now then, make a gangway, can't you?"--this to his
patients. "Come here