e palaver. If I'm not wanted I'll go."

"Don't go."

"Very well, then, I won't." Mr. Tamblyn took a seat on the edge of an
unoccupied bed, drew from his pocket a knife and a screw of pig-tail
tobacco, sliced off a portion and rubbed it meditatively between his
hands. "I done you a good turn just now," he continued. "Some o'
the company--the womenkind especially--wanted to come in and make a
fuss over you before leavin'."

"Why should they want to make a fuss over me?"

"Well you may ask," said Mr. Tamblyn, candidly. "'Tain't a question
of looks, though. There's a kind of female--an' 'tis the commonest
kind, too--can't hear of a man bein' hurt an' put to bed but she
wants to see for herself. 'Tis like the game a female child plays
with a dollies' house. Here they've got a nice little orspital to
amuse 'em, with nice clean blankets an' sheets, an' texteses 'pon the
walls, an' a cupboard full o' real medicines an' splints, and along
comes a real live patient to be put to bed, an' the thing's complete.
Hows'ever, they didn' get no fun out of 'ee to-day, for I told 'em
you was sleepin' peaceful an' not to be disturbed."

"Thank you." Under pretence of settling down more comfortably
against the pillow, the Major turned his head aside. "Then it seems
you knew this--this--"

"Hymen? Knew him intimate."

"What--what sort of man was he?"

Cai Tamblyn transferred the shreds of tobacco to a pouch made of
pig's bladder, pocketed it, and rubbed his two palms together,
chuckling softly.

"Look here, I'll show you the bust of 'en if you like; that is"--he
checked himself and added dubiously--"if you're sure it won't excite
you."

"Excite me?"

"Sure it won't give you a relapse or something o' the sort?
The woman Snell has stepped down to the Mayor's to wash up after the
light refreshments, and I'm in charge. Prettily she'll blow me up if
she comes back an' finds I've been an' gone an' excited you."
He cleared a space on the wash-stand. "I've no business to be in
here at all, really, talkin' wi' the pashent; but damme, you can't
think what 'tis like, sittin' by yourself in a museum. I wish
sometimes they'd take an' stuff me!"

He hobbled out and returned grunting under the weight of the bust,
which he set down upon the wash-stand, turning it so that the Major
might have a full view of its features.

"There!" he exclaimed, drawing back and panting a little.

"Good heavens!" The Major drew the bed-clothes