en the lovely opera singer I sent you to have that
growth taken off her vocal cords?

WALPOLE [springing to his feet] Great heavens, man, you dont mean to say
you sent her for a throat operation!

B. B. [archly] Aha! Ha ha! Aha! [trilling like a lark as he shakes his
finger at Walpole]. You removed her nuciform sac. Well, well! force of
habit! force of habit! Never mind, ne-e-e-ver mind. She got back her
voice after it, and thinks you the greatest surgeon alive; and so you
are, so you are, so you are.

WALPOLE [in a tragic whisper, intensely serious] Blood-poisoning. I see.
I see. [He sits down again].

SIR PATRICK. And how is a certain distinguished family getting on under
your care, Sir Ralph?

B. B. Our friend Ridgeon will be gratified to hear that I have tried his
opsonin treatment on little Prince Henry with complete success.

RIDGEON [startled and anxious] But how--

B. B. [continuing] I suspected typhoid: the head gardener's boy had
it; so I just called at St Anne's one day and got a tube of your very
excellent serum. You were out, unfortunately.

RIDGEON. I hope they explained to you carefully--

B. B. [waving away the absurd suggestion] Lord bless you, my dear
fellow, I didnt need any explanations. I'd left my wife in the carriage
at the door; and I'd no time to be taught my business by your young
chaps. I know all about it. Ive handled these anti-toxins ever since
they first came out.

RIDGEON. But theyre not anti-toxins; and theyre dangerous unless you use
them at the right time.

B. B. Of course they are. Everything is dangerous unless you take it at
the right time. An apple at breakfast does you good: an apple at bedtime
upsets you for a week. There are only two rules for anti-toxins. First,
dont be afraid of them: second, inject them a quarter of an hour before
meals, three times a day.

RIDGEON [appalled] Great heavens, B. B., no, no, no.

B. B. [sweeping on irresistibly] Yes, yes, yes, Colly. The proof of the
pudding is in the eating, you know. It was an immense success. It acted
like magic on the little prince. Up went his temperature; off to bed I
packed him; and in a week he was all right again, and absolutely immune
from typhoid for the rest of his life. The family were very nice about
it: their gratitude was quite touching; but I said they owed it all to
you, Ridgeon; and I am glad to think that your knighthood is the result.

RIDGEON. I am deeply obliged to you. [Overcome, he sits