ork of his confidence.

I rose suddenly, determined and serious, and said that, as an
experienced doctor, I unfortunately saw that he was ill in no such
slight degree as he perhaps thought, and that, as he was evidently weak
and languid--as the drops of perspiration on his forehead showed--he
must, at any rate, at once seat himself on the comfortable sofa I had
hitherto occupied.

He acknowledged that going twice downstairs had been rather too much for
him--the first time he had only gone down to put an end to the
uncomfortable draught through the house--and willingly took his place on
the sofa at my desire.

It was his chest, he said. By the help of the stethoscope, I found that
this was only too true. His chest, indeed, was in such a condition that
it was only a question of gaining time, not of saving life; for one lung
was entirely gone, and the other seriously affected.

During the remainder of the evening, both he and I felt ourselves
re-established on the old footing, my authority as doctor now giving me
a slight superiority.

At nine o'clock, I declared that he must go to bed, and I told him that
the next morning I intended to come again, and prescribe what was
needful. I heard he was not to be at school before eleven: until that
hour he promised me not to go out.

When I came home, I found my wife in great anxiety about me. She could
not conceive how a sensible man, and a doctor into the bargain, who gave
others such good advice, could be out more than was necessary in such
dreadful weather; and I had been out in it the whole time since dinner.

There was nothing to be said to this, and I only considered, while she
talked, how I could best win her over to the cause which I now had at
heart. My wife had not the slightest acquaintance with my dying friend,
and, if I knew her aright, might even feel hurt when I told her that he
had, in a way, possessed my affection before I knew her.

Things turned out as I foresaw; for it was only after a rather doubtful
pause that she came up to me, and said that my best friend should of
course be dear to her.

And from that moment no one could have been more helpful than she.
Whatever she undertakes, she always does thoroughly, and she settled
that very evening how the matter should be arranged.

At ten the next morning I was up in my friend's room with my wife, and I
introduced her to him, saying that she wished to be regarded as an old
friend like myself. I told hi