t let him talk that way, don't," said Lady
Scatcherd, with her handkerchief to her eyes.

"Now, my lady, do you cut it; cut at once," said Sir Roger, turning
hastily round to his better-half; and his better-half, knowing that
the province of a woman is to obey, did cut it. But as she went she
gave the doctor a pull by the coat's sleeve, so that thereby his
healing faculties might be sharpened to the very utmost.

"The best woman in the world, doctor; the very best," said he, as the
door closed behind the wife of his bosom.

"I'm sure of it," said the doctor.

"Yes, till you find a better one," said Scatcherd. "Ha! ha! ha! but
good or bad, there are some things which a woman can't understand,
and some things which she ought not to be let to understand."

"It's natural she should be anxious about your health, you know."

"I don't know that," said the contractor. "She'll be very well off.
All that whining won't keep a man alive, at any rate."

There was a pause, during which the doctor continued his medical
examination. To this the patient submitted with a bad grace; but
still he did submit.

"We must turn over a new leaf, Sir Roger; indeed we must."

"Bother," said Sir Roger.

"Well, Scatcherd; I must do my duty to you, whether you like it or
not."

"That is to say, I am to pay you for trying to frighten me."

"No human nature can stand such shocks as these much longer."

"Winterbones," said the contractor, turning to his clerk, "go down,
go down, I say; but don't be out of the way. If you go to the
public-house, by G----, you may stay there for me. When I take a
drop,--that is if I ever do, it does not stand in the way of work."
So Mr Winterbones, picking up his cup again, and concealing it in
some way beneath his coat flap, retreated out of the room, and the
two friends were alone.

"Scatcherd," said the doctor, "you have been as near your God, as any
man ever was who afterwards ate and drank in this world."

"Have I, now?" said the railway hero, apparently somewhat startled.

"Indeed you have; indeed you have."

"And now I'm all right again?"

"All right! How can you be all right, when you know that your limbs
refuse to carry you? All right! why the blood is still beating round
your brain with a violence that would destroy any other brain but
yours."

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Scatcherd. He was very proud of thinking
himself to be differently organised from other men. "Ha! ha! ha!
Well, and what am