"Oh he'll come up all right," returned her husband, with some
impatience in his voice.

"I hope so. But if he were my son, I'd rather see him in his grave than
as I saw him last night."

"It's very easy to talk in that way; but if Archie were your son, you'd
not be very long in choosing between death and a glass or two of wine
more than he had strength to carry."

"If he were my son," replied the doctor's wife, "I would do all in my
power to keep him away from entertainments where liquor is served in
such profusion. The danger is too great."

"He would have to take his chances with the rest," replied the doctor.
"All that we could possibly do would be to teach him moderation and
self-denial."

"If there is little moderation and self-denial among the full-grown men
and women who are met on these occasions, what can be expected from
lads and young men?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulders, but made no reply.

"We cannot shut our eyes to the fact," continued his wife, "that this
free dispensation of wine to old and young is an evil of great
magnitude, and that it is doing a vast amount of harm."

The doctor still kept silent. He was not in a mood for discussing this
or any other social question. His mind was going in another direction,
and his thoughts were troubling him. Dr. Hillhouse was a surgeon of
great experience, and known throughout the country for his successful
operations in some of the most difficult and dangerous cases with which
the profession has to deal. On this particular day, at twelve o'clock,
he had to perform an operation of the most delicate nature, involving
the life or death of a patient.

He might well feel troubled, for he knew, from signs too well
understood, that when twelve o'clock came, and his patient lay helpless
and unconscious before him, his hand would not be steady nor his brain,
clear. Healthy food would not restore the natural vigor which
stimulation had weakened, for he had no appetite for food. His stomach
turned away from it with loathing.

By this time the throb in his temple had become a stroke of pain. While
still sitting at the breakfast-table Dr. Angier returned from his visit
to Mrs. Ridley. Dr. Hillhouse saw by the expression of his face that he
did not bring a good report.

"How is she?" he asked.

"In a very bad way," replied Dr. Angier.

"New symptoms?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Intense pain, rigors, hurried respiration and pulse up to a hundred
and twent