Yes?"

"Then there was Aunt Maria who was staying with us and imagined she had
appendicitis, poor old thing! You remember the specialist, Jack?"

"I remember the specialist's fee--three guineas for absolute tomfoolery!
'_Item 2. To diagnosing Aunt Maria and failing to find anything wrong
and recommending appendicitis_.... ' Shall we say a guinea for Aunt
Maria's put-up job? I ought to get my money back since nothing was found
in Aunt Maria. There should be at least a discount on false alarms."

"Then there was Baby," continued Minerva. "We didn't know what was wrong
with him--and really I don't think now there was very much the matter,
although I felt so anxious at the time. But the doctor never would
explain fully."

"Of course not; that would be giving the game away. '_Item 3. To baby to
rights, 2s. 11d_.'"

"Two-and-elevenpence for baby!" protested Minerva. "If Aunt Maria was
worth a guinea--"

"She was not. I said so at the time."

"--Baby is certainly worth more than two-and-elevenpence."

"Well, make it two pounds eleven. I don't care either way. What I want
is an approximate idea of the way this fellow makes up his total."

"If he's charging two pounds eleven for all the little he did to Baby,
he's certainly charging too much, Jack; and you ought to see him about
it at once."

"Well, what next?"

"That was all, I think.... Oh, no. There was the time about Maudie's
cold."

"Oh, those kids' colds!"

"Well, my dear, I have spoken to the children about it until I am tired.
Do be reasonable."

"'_Item 4. To thawing Maudie's chest, lubricating throat, and taking
hard edge off voice, time and expenses._' ... How much?"

"He was only twice at Maudie, three times at Tommy. What did you put
down for Tommy?"

"Fifteen bob; but Maudie is bigger than Tommy."

"She is big for her age," reflected Minerva. "I remember asking the
doctor if he thought she was growing too fast."

"He'd call that a consultation."

"'_Item 5. To advising on rate of speed recommended for Maudie's growth,
one guinea._'"

"I might have saved that charge," sighed Minerva. "But that was all. How
much does it come to?"

"Allowing two visits to Maudie to be equal to three visits to Tommy, the
total bill amounts to six pounds three shillings."

"But that's four pounds seven less than he charges."

"And observe I am allowing two pounds eleven for Baby's fidgets--or
rather for your fidgets about baby--on the basis of Aunt Maria