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The tears dried in his hot eyes; he jerked the old-fashioned bell savagely; and after a long while he heard servants whispering together in the passageway outside his door

He lay very still in his chair; his hearing had become abnor; and as the dull, intestinal aching grew sharper, parching, searing every strained muscle in throat and chest, he struck the table beside hiony that swept hi out an inarticulate menace on his household And Dr Grisby came into the room from the outer shadows of the hall

He was very sre, very bald, and clean-shaven, with a face like a nut-cracker; and the broig he as atrocious, and curled forward over his colourless ears He wore steel-rilass divided into two lenses; and he stood on tiptoe to look out through the upper lenses on the world, and always bent al lenses

Besides that, he affected frilled shirts, and string ties, which nobody had ever seen snugly tied His loose string tie was the first thing Siward could remember about the doctor; and that the doctor had pere of six

"What's all this racket?" said the little old doctor harshly "Got colic? Got the toothache? I' the furniture! Look up! Look at ue! Well, nohat the devil's the trouble?"

"You--know,"his wrist to the little man, who seated himself beside him Dr Grisby scarcely noted the pulse; the delicate pressure had becorunted "How do I knohat's the matter with you? Hey? No, don't try to explain, Steve; don't fly off the handle! All right; grant that I do knohat's bothering you; I want to see that ankle first Here, soas Why the mischief don't you have the house wired for electricity, Stephen? It's wholesome Gas isn't Lamps are worse, sir Do as I tell you!" And he went on loquaciously, gru his talk, while Siward, wincing as the dressing was removed, lay back and closed his eyes

Half an hour later Gumble appeared, to announce dinner

"I don't want any," said Siward

"Eat!" said Dr Grisby harshly

"I--don't care to"

"Eat, I tell you! Do you think I don't mean what I say?"