bear in mind how very dear she is to me. It makes me shiver in every
nerve to think of the knife going down into her tender flesh. You
might cut me to pieces, doctor, if that would save her."

"Your fears exaggerate everything," returned Doctor Hillhouse, in an
assuring voice. "She will go into a tranquil sleep, and while
dreaming pleasant dreams we will quickly dissect out the tumor, and
leave the freed organs to continue their healthy action under the
old laws of unobstructed life."

"When ought it to be done?" asked Mr. Carlton the tremor coming back
into his voice.

"The sooner, the better, after an operation is decided upon,"
answered the doctor. "I will make another examination in about two
weeks. The changes that take place in that time will help me to a
clearer decision than it is possible to arrive at now."

After a lapse of two weeks Doctor Hillhouse, in company with another
surgeon, made a second examination. What his conclusions were will
appear in the following conversation held with Dr. Angier.

"The tumor is not of a malignant character," Doctor Hillhouse
replied, in answer to his assistant's inquiry. "But it is larger
than I at first suspected and is growing very rapidly. From a slight
suffusion of Mrs. Carlton's face which I did not observe at any
previous visit, it is evident that the tumor is beginning to press
upon the carotids. Serious displacements of blood-vessels, nerves,
glands and muscles must soon occur if this growth goes on."