it has come about. After you left the hospital, six years ago, I stayed
on, taking up any small appointments that were going--assistant
demonstrator--or curatorships and such like--hung about the chemical and
physical laboratories, the museum and post mortem room, and meanwhile
took my M.D. and D.Sc. Then I got called to the bar in the hope of
getting a coronership, but soon after this, old Stedman retired
unexpectedly--you remember Stedman, the lecturer on medical
jurisprudence--and I put in for the vacant post. Rather to my surprise,
I was appointed lecturer, whereupon I dismissed the coronership from my
mind, took my present chambers and sat down to wait for anything that
might come." "And what has come?" I asked.

"Why, a very curious assortment of miscellaneous practice," he replied.
"At first I only got an occasional analysis in a doubtful poisoning
case, but, by degrees, my sphere of influence has extended until it now
includes all cases in which a special knowledge of medicine or physical
science can be brought to bear upon law."

"But you plead in court, I observe," said I.

"Very seldom," he replied. "More usually I appear in the character of
that _bête noir_ of judges and counsel--the scientific witness. But in
most instances I do not appear at all; I merely direct investigations,
arrange and analyse the results, and prime the counsel with facts and
suggestions for cross-examination."

"A good deal more interesting than acting as understudy for an absent
g.p.," said I, a little enviously. "But you deserve to succeed, for you
were always a deuce of a worker, to say nothing of your capabilities."