ked
out the words of the threat, he stood on tiptoes and brandished his
eye-glasses up almost into his enemy's face.

"Don't be angry with Dr Thorne," said Lady Scatcherd. "Any ways, you
needn't be angry with him. If you must be angry with anybody--"

"I shall be angry with him, madam," ejaculated Dr Fillgrave, making
another sudden demi-pirouette. "I am angry with him--or, rather, I
despise him;" and completing the circle, Dr Fillgrave again brought
himself round in full front of his foe.

Dr Thorne raised his eyebrows and looked inquiringly at Lady
Scatcherd; but there was a quiet sarcastic motion round his mouth
which by no means had the effect of throwing oil on the troubled
waters.

"I'll publish the whole of this transaction to the medical world, Dr
Thorne--the whole of it; and if that has not the effect of rescuing
the people of Greshamsbury out of your hands, then--then--then, I
don't know what will. Is my carriage--that is, post-chaise there?"
and Dr Fillgrave, speaking very loudly, turned majestically to one of
the servants.

"What have I done to you, Dr Fillgrave," said Dr Thorne, now
absolutely laughing, "that you should determined to take my bread out
of my mouth? I am not interfering with your patient. I have come here
simply with reference to money matters appertaining to Sir Roger."

"Money matters! Very well--very well; money matters. That is your
idea of medical practice! Very well--very well. Is my post-chaise at
the door? I'll publish it all to the medical world--every word--every
word of it, every word of it."

"Publish what, you unreasonable man?"

"Man! sir; whom do you call a man? I'll let you know whether I'm a
man--post-chaise there!"

"Don't 'ee call him names now, doctor; don't 'ee, pray don't 'ee,"
said Lady Scatcherd.

By this time they had all got somewhere nearer the hall-door; but the
Scatcherd retainers were too fond of the row to absent themselves
willingly at Dr Fillgrave's bidding, and it did not appear that any
one went in search of the post-chaise.

"Man! sir; I'll let you know what it is to speak to me in that style.
I think, sir, you hardly know who I am."

"All that I know of you at present is, that you are my friend Sir
Roger's physician, and I cannot conceive what has occurred to make
you so angry." And as he spoke, Dr Thorne looked carefully at him to
see whether that pump-discipline had in truth been applied. There
were no signs whatever that cold water had