The doctor looked him over.

"What were you doing in the road?" he asked.

"I was riding a bicycle," the other answered. "I dare say it was
my own fault; I was certainly on the wrong side of the road. You
can see what has happened to me. I am bruised and cut; my side is
painful, and also my knee. A car is waiting outside now to take
me to my home, but I thought that I had better stop and see you."

The doctor was a humane man, with a miserable practice, and he
forgot all about his bridge party. For half an hour he worked
over his patient. At the end of that time he gave him a brandy
and soda and placed a box of cigarettes before him.

"You'll do all right now," he said. "That's a nasty cut on your
leg, but you've no broken bones."

"I feel absolutely well again, thank you very much," the young
man said. "I will smoke a cigarette, if I may. The brandy, I
thank you, no!"

"Just as you like," the doctor answered. "I won't say that you
are not better without it. Help yourself to the cigarettes. Are
you going back to London in the motor car, then?"

"Yes!" the patient answered. "It is waiting outside for me now,
and I must not keep the man any longer. Will you let me know, if
you please, how much I owe you?"