other way。 The moon shone bright on both faces。
〃Dr。 Staines！〃 said Mr。 Lusignan surprised。 Christopher uttered an
ejaculation more eloquent than words。
They stared at each other。
〃You were coming to call on us？〃
〃Nno；〃 stammered Christopher。
Lusignan thought that odd； however； he said politely； 〃No matter；
it is fortunate。 Would you mind coming in？〃
〃No；〃 faltered Christopher； and stared at him ruefully； puzzled
more and more； but beginning to think； after all； it might be a
casual meeting。
They entered the gate； and in one moment he saw Rosa at the window；
and she saw him。
Then he altered his opinion again。 Rosa had sent her father out to
him。 But how was this？ The old man did not seem angry。
Christopher's heart gave a leap inside him； and he began to glow
with the wildest hopes。 For； what could this mean but relenting？
Mr。 Lusignan took him first into the study； and lighted two candles
himself。 He did not want the servants prying。
The lights showed Christopher a change in Mr。 Lusignan。 He looked
ten years older。
〃You are not well； sir；〃 said Christopher gently。
〃My health is well enough； but I am a broken…hearted man。 Dr。
Staines； forget all that passed here at your last visit。 All that
is over。 Thank you for loving my poor girl as you do； give me your
hand； God bless you。 Sir； I am sorry to say it is as a physician I
invite you now。 She is ill； sir； very； very ill。〃
〃Ill！ and not tell me！〃
〃She kept it from you； my poor friend； not to distress you； and she
tried to keep it from me； but how could she？ For two months she
has had some terrible complaintit is destroying her。 She is the
ghost of herself。 Oh； my poor child！ my child！〃
The old man sobbed aloud。 The young man stood trembling； and ashy
pale。 Still； the habits of his profession； and the experience of
dangers overcome； together with a certain sense of power； kept him
up； but； above all； love and duty said； 〃Be firm。〃 He asked for an
outline of the symptoms。
They alarmed him greatly。
〃Let us lose no more time；〃 said he。 〃I will see her at once。〃
〃Do you object to my being present？〃
〃Of course not。〃
〃Shall I tell you what Dr。 Snell says it is； and Mr。 Wyman？〃
〃By all meansafter I have seen her。〃
This comforted Mr。 Lusignan。 He was to get an independent
judgment； at all events。
When they reached the top of the stairs； Dr。 Staines paused and
leaned against the baluster。 〃Give me a moment；〃 said he。 〃The
patient must not know how my heart is beating； and she must see
nothing in my face but what I choose her to see。 Give me your hand
once more； sir； let us both control ourselves。 Now announce me。〃
Mr。 Lusignan opened the door； and said； with forced cheerfulness；
〃Dr。 Staines； my dear； come to give you the benefit of his skill。〃
She lay on the sofa； just as we left her。 Only her bosom began to
heave。
Then Christopher Staines drew himself up； and the majesty of
knowledge and love together seemed to dilate his noble frame。 He
fixed his eye on that reclining； panting figure； and stepped
lightly but firmly across the room to know the worst； like a lion
walking up to levelled lances。
CHAPTER III。
The young physician walked steadily up to his patient without
taking his eye off her； and drew a chair to her side。
Then she took down one handthe leftand gave it him； averting
her face tenderly； and still covering it with her right； 〃For；〃
said she to herself； 〃I am such a fright now。〃 This opportune
reflection； and her heaving bosom； proved that she at least felt
herself something more than his patient。 Her pretty consciousness
made his task more difficult； nevertheless； he only allowed himself
to press her hand tenderly with both his palms one moment； and then
he entered on his functions bravely。 〃I am here as your
physician。〃
〃Very well；〃 said she softly。
He gently detained the hand； and put his finger lightly to her
pulse； it was palpitating； and a fallacious test。 Oh； how that
beating pulse； by love's electric current； set his own heart
throbbing in a moment！
He put her hand gently； reluctantly down； and said； 〃Oblige me by
turning this way。〃 She turned； and he winced internally at the
change in her； but his face betrayed nothing。 He looked at her
full； and； after a pause； put her some questions： one was as to the
color of the hemorrhage。 She said it was bright red。
〃Not a tinge of purple？〃
〃No；〃 said she hopefully； mistaking him。
He suppressed a sigh。
Then he listened at her shoulder…blade and at her chest； and made
her draw her breath while he was listening。 The acts were simple；
and usual in medicine； but there was a deep； patient； silent
intensity about his way of doing them。
Mr。 Lusignan crept nearer； and stood with both hands on a table；
and his old head bowed； awaiting yet dreading the verdict。
Up to this time； Dr。 Staines； instead of tapping and squeezing； and
pulling the patient about； had never touched her with his hand； and
only grazed her with his ear； but now he said 〃Allow me；〃 and put
both hands to her waist； more lightly and reverently than I can
describe； 〃Now draw a deep breath； if you please。〃
〃There！〃
〃If you could draw a deeper still；〃 said he； insinuatingly。
〃There； then！〃 said she； a little pettishly。
Dr。 Staines's eye kindled。
〃Hum！〃 said he。 Then； after a considerable pause； 〃Are you better
or worse after each hemorrhage？〃
〃La！〃 said Rosa； 〃they never asked me that。 Why； better。〃
〃No faintness？〃
〃Not a bit。〃
〃Rather a sense of relief； perhaps？〃
〃Yes； I feel lighter and better。〃
The examination was concluded。
Dr。 Staines looked at Rosa； and then at her father。 The agony in
that aged face； and the love that agony implied； won him； and it
was to the parent he turned to give his verdict。
〃The hemorrhage is from the lungs〃
Lusignan interrupted him： 〃From the lungs！〃 cried he； in dismay。
〃Yes； a slight congestion of the lungs。〃
〃But not incurable！ Oh； not incurable； doctor！〃
〃Heaven forbid！ It is curableeasilyby removing the cause。〃
〃And what is the cause？〃
〃The cause？〃he hesitated； and looked rather uneasy。〃Well； the
cause； sir； istight stays。〃
The tranquillity of the meeting was instantly disturbed。 〃Tight
stays！ Me！〃 cried Rosa。 〃Why； I am the loosest girl in England。
Look； papa！〃 And； without any apparent effort； she drew herself
in； and poked her little fist between her sash and her gown。
〃There！〃
Dr。 Staines smiled sadly and a little sarcastically： he was
evidently shy of encountering the lady in this argument； but he was
more at his ease with her father； so he turned towards him and
lectured him freely。
〃That is wonderful； sir； and the first four or five female patients
that favored me with it； made me disbelieve my other senses； but
Miss Lusignan is now about the thirtieth who has shown me that
marvellous feat； with a calm countenance that belies the herculean
effort。 Nature has her every…day miracles： a boa…constrictor；
diameter seventeen inches； can swallow a buffalo； a woman； with her
stays bisecting her almost； and lacerating her skin； can yet for
one moment make herself seem slack； to deceive a juvenile
physician。 The snake is the miracle of expansion； the woman is the
prodigy of contraction。〃
〃Highly grateful for the comparison！〃 cried Rosa。 〃Women and
snakes！〃
Dr。 Staines blushed and looked uncomfortable。 〃I did not mean to
be offensive； it certainly was a very clumsy comparison。〃
〃What does that matter？〃 said Mr。 Lusignan； impatiently。 〃Be
quiet； Rosa； and let Dr。 Staines and me talk sense。〃
〃Oh； then I am nobody in the business！〃 said this wise young lady。
〃You are everybody；〃 said Staines； soothingly。 〃But；〃 suggested
he； obsequiously； 〃if you don't mind； I would rather explain my
views to your fatheron this one subject。〃
〃And a pretty subject it is！〃
Dr。 Staines then invited Mr。 Lusignan to his lodgings； and promised
to explain the matter anatomically。 〃Meantime；〃 said he； 〃would
you be good enough to put your hands to my waist； as I did to the
patient's。〃
Mr。 Lusignan complied； and the patient began to titter directly； to
put them out of countenance。
〃Please observe what takes place when I draw a full breath。
〃Now apply the same test to the patient。 Breathe your best；
please； Miss Lusignan。〃
The patient put on a face full of saucy mutiny。
〃To oblige us both。〃
〃Oh； how tiresome！〃
〃I am aware it is rather laborious；〃 said Staines； a little dryly；
〃but to oblige your father！〃
〃Oh； anything to oblige papa；〃 said she； spitefully。 〃There！ And
I do hope it will be the lastla！ no； I don't hope that； neither。〃
Dr。 Staines politely ignored her little attempts to interrupt the
argument。 〃You found； sir； that the muscles of my waist； and my
intercostal ribs themselves； rose and fell with each inhalation and
exhalation of air by the lungs。〃
〃I did； but my daughter's waist was like dead wood； and so were her
lower ribs。〃
At this volunteer statement； Rosa colored to her temples。 〃Thanks；
papa！ Pack me off to London； and sell me for a big doll！〃
〃In other words；〃 said the lecturer； mild and pertinacious； 〃with
us the lungs have room to blow； and the whole bony frame expands
elastic with them； like the woodwork of a blacksmith's bellows； but
with this patient； and many of her sex； that noble and divinely
framed bellows is crippled and confined by a powerful machine of
human construction； so it works lamely and feebly： consequently too
little air； and of course too little oxygen； passes through that
spongy organ whose very life is air。 Now mark the special result
in this case： being otherwise healthy and vigorous； our patient's
system sends into the lungs more blood than that one crippled organ
can deal with； a small quantity becomes extravasated at odd times；
it accumulates； and would become dangerous； then Nature；
strengthened by sleep； and by some hours' relief from the
diabolical engine； makes an effort and flings it off： that is why
the hemorrhage comes in the morning； and why she is the better for
it； feeling neither faint nor sick； but relieved of a weight。
This； sir；