rupted by an intelligent maid, who asked, over
the balusters, if that was the medical man; and, on the woman's saying
it was, begged him to step upstairs at once.

He found his patient attended only by her maid, but she was all
discretion, and intelligence. She said he had only to direct her, she
would do anything for her dear mistress.

Mr. Boddington said a single zealous and intelligent woman, who could
obey orders, was as good as a number, or better.

He then went gently to the bedside, and his experience told him at once
that the patient was in labor.

He told the attendant so, and gave her his directions.

CHAPTER XXIX.

ME. ROLFE reached Bellevue House in time to make a hasty toilet, and
dine with Dr. Suaby in his private apartments.

The other guests were Sir Charles Bassett, Mr. Hyam--a meek, sorrowful
patient--an Exquisite, and Miss Wieland.

Dr. Suaby introduced him to everybody but the Exquisite.

Mr. Rolfe said Sir Charles Bassett and he were correspondents.

"So I hear. He tells you the secrets of the prison-house, eh?"

"The humors of the place, you mean."

"Yes, he has a good eye for character. I suppose he has dissected me
along with the rest?"

"No, no; he has only dealt with the minor eccentricities. His pen
failed at you. 'You must come and _see_ the doctor,' he said. So here I
am."

"Oh," said the doctor, "if your wit and his are both to be leveled at
me, I had better stop your mouths. Dinner! dinner! Sir Charles, will
you take Miss Wieland? Sorry we have not another lady to keep you
company, madam."

"Are you? Then I'm not," said the lady smartly.

The dinner passed like any other, only Rolfe observed that Dr. Suaby
took every fair opportunity of drawing the pluckless Mr. Hyam into
conversation, and that he coldly ignored the Exquisite.

"I have seen that young man about town, I think," said Mr. Rolfe.
"Where was it, I wonder?"

"The Argyll Rooms, or the Casino, probably."

"Thank you, doctor. Oh, I forgot; you owed me one. He is no favorite of
yours."

"Certainly not. And I only invited him medicinally."

"Medicinally? That's too deep for a layman."

"To flirt with Miss Wieland. Flirting does her good."

"Medicine embraces a wider range than I thought."

"No doubt. You are always talking about medicine; but you know very
little, begging your pardon."

"That is the theory of compensation. When you know very little about a
thing you must talk a great deal about