Lavendar murmured; and then he asked if the doctor was out.
"Oh, yes," said Mrs. King, dryly; "Willy always manages to get out in
the evening on one excuse or another. You'd think he'd be glad of a
restful evening at home with me, sometimes. But no. William's patients
need a surprising amount of attention, though his bills don't show it
When Mrs. Richie's cook was sick--just as an instance--he went six
times to see her. I counted."
"Well; she got well?"' said Dr. Lavendar.
"Got well? She'd have got well if he hadn't gone near her." Martha
began to stroke the gathers on a bit of cambric with a precise needle
that suddenly trembled. "The woman herself was not to blame it's only
just to say that--And there's one thing about me, Dr, Lavendar; I may
not be perfect, but I am always just. No, she was not to blame; it was
Mrs. Richie who sent for William. She is the most helpless woman I
ever saw, for her years;--she is at least forty, though she uses
sachet-powders, and wears undersleeves all trimmed with lace, as if
she were six teen! I don't want to find fault, Dr, Lavendar, but I
must say that _I_ wouldn't have trusted that little boy to her."
"Oh," said Dr, Lavendar, "I trusted _her_ to the little boy! She'll be
so busy looking after his sleeves, she'll forget her own."
Mrs. King sniffed, doubtfully. "I'm sure I hope you are right; but in
my opinion, she's a very helpless and foolish woman;--if nothing
worse.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138