"Oh, yes; I have even met him in society; a most refined person: I will
certainly follow your advice and consult him. Oh, thank you, Mrs.
Bosanquet! _A propos,_ do you consider him skilful?

"Oh, immensely; he is a particular friend of my husband's."

This was so convincing, that off went another three-cocked note, and next
day a dark-green carriage and pair dashed up to Mrs. Dodd's door, and Dr.
Short bent himself in an arc, got out, and slowly mounted the stairs. He
was six feet two, wonderfully thin, livid, and gentleman-like. Fine
homing head, keen eye, lantern jaws. At sight of him Mrs. Dodd rose and
smiled. Julia started and sat trembling. He stepped across the room
inaudibly, and after the usual civilities, glanced a! the patient's
tongue, and touched her wrist delicately. "Pulse is rapid," said he.

Mrs. Dodd detailed the symptoms. Dr. Short listened within the patient
politeness of a gentleman, to whom all this was superfluous. He asked for
a sheet of note-paper, and divided it so gently, he seemed to be
persuading one thing to be two. He wrote a pair of prescriptions, and
whilst thus employed looked up every now and then and conversed with the
ladies.

"You have a slight subscapular affection, Miss Dodd: I mean, a little
pain under the shoulder-blade."

"No, sir," said Julia quietly.

Dr. Short looked a little surprised; his female patients rarely
contradicted him. Was it for them to disown things he was so a good as to