ted them, in his unavoidable
absence, to call in the skilful, the talented, the soon to be
illustrious young Docteur Rocque, who was also near at hand.

The heart of Traverse thrilled with joy. The Lord had remembered him!
His best skill spent upon the poor and needy who could make him no
return, but whose lives he had succeeded in saving, had reached the
ears of the celebrated Dr. C., who had with the unobtrusive magnanimity
of real genius quietly recommended him to his own patrons.

Oh! well, he would do his very best, not only to advance his own
professional interests, and to please his mother and Clara, but also to
do honor to the magnanimous Doctor C.'s recommendation!

Here, too, was an opportunity of putting in practise his favorite
theory; but first of all it was necessary to be informed of the
preceding mode of treatment and its results.

So he further questioned the little, restless magpie, and by
ingeniously framed inquiries succeeded in gaining from her the
necessary knowledge of his patient's antecedents. He examined all the
medicines that had been used, and informed himself of their effects
upon the disease. But the most serious difficulty of all seemed to be
the impossibility of raising vital action upon the cold, dead skin.

The chattering little woman informed him that the patient had been
covered with blisters that would not "pull," that would not
"delineate," that would not, what call you it--"draw!"

Traverse could easily believe this, for not only the skin, but the very
flesh of the old doctor seemed bloodless and lifeless.

Now for his theory! What would kill a healthy man with a perfect
circulation might save the life of this dying one, whose whole surface,
inch deep, seemed already dead.

"Put him in a bath of mustard water, as hot as you can bear your own
hand in and continue to raise the temperature slowly, watching the
effect, for about five minutes. I will go down and prepare a cordial
draught to be taken the moment he gets back to bed," said Doctor Rocke,
who immediately left the room.

His directions were all but too well obeyed. The bathing tub was
quickly brought into the chamber and filled with water as hot as the
nurse could bear her hand in, then the invalid was hastily invested in
a slight bathing gown and lifted by two servants and laid in the hot
bath.

"Now, bring quickly, water boiling," said the little, old woman,
imperatively. And when a large copper kettleful was fo