or and her ladyship. How, indeed, was the doctor to
get out of the house without such, let him wish it ever so much?
There were words; and these were protracted, while the doctor's
cob was being ordered round, till very many were uttered which the
contractor would probably have regarded as nonsense.

Lady Scatcherd was no fit associate for the wives of English
baronets;--was no doubt by education and manners much better fitted
to sit in their servants' halls; but not on that account was she a
bad wife or a bad woman. She was painfully, fearfully, anxious for
that husband of hers, whom she honoured and worshipped, as it behoved
her to do, above all other men. She was fearfully anxious as to his
life, and faithfully believed, that if any man could prolong it, it
was that old and faithful friend whom she had known to be true to her
lord since their early married troubles.

When, therefore, she found that he had been dismissed, and that a
stranger was to be sent for in his place, her heart sank low within
her.

"But, doctor," she said, with her apron up to her eyes, "you ain't
going to leave him, are you?"

Dr Thorne did not find it easy to explain to her ladyship that
medical etiquette would not permit him to remain in attendance on her
husband after he had been dismissed and another physician called in
his place.

"Etiquette!" said she, crying. "What's etiquette to do with it when a
man is a-killing hisself with brandy?"

"Fillgrave will forbid that quite as strongly as I can do."

"Fillgrave!" said she. "Fiddlesticks! Fillgrave, indeed!"

Dr Thorne could almost have embraced her for the strong feeling of
thorough confidence on the one side, and thorough distrust on the
other, which she contrived to throw into those few words.

"I'll tell you what, doctor; I won't let the messenger go. I'll bear
the brunt of it. He can't do much now he ain't up, you know. I'll
stop the boy; we won't have no Fillgraves here."

This, however, was a step to which Dr Thorne would not assent. He
endeavoured to explain to the anxious wife, that after what had
passed he could not tender his medical services till they were again
asked for.

"But you can slip in as a friend, you know; and then by degrees you
can come round him, eh? can't you now, doctor? And as to the
payment--"

All that Dr Thorne said on the subject may easily be imagined. And in
this way, and in partaking of the lunch which was forced upon him, an
hour had near