"That's it! You've hit it! He's seen lots of other cases like yours,
and next to a man's feeling that he's a peculiar sufferer, he likes to
know that there are other fellows in the same box."

We both laughed at this; it was, in fact, a joke we were the joint
authors of.

"Well, we don't often talk about my ailments; I haven't got a great
many; and generally we get on some abstract topic. Just now we're
running the question of female education, perhaps because it's
impersonal, and we can both treat of it without prejudice."

"The doctor isn't married, I believe?"

"He's a widower of long standing, and that's the best kind of doctor to
have: then he's a kind of a bachelor with practical wisdom added. You
see, I've always had the idea that women, beginning with little girls
and ending with grandmothers, ought to be brought up as nearly like
their brothers as can be--that is, if they are to be the wives of other
women's brothers. It don't so much matter how an old maid is brought
up, but you can't have her destiny in view, though I believe if an old
maid could be brought up more like an old bachelor she would be more
comfortable to herself, anyway."

"And what does Dr. Denbigh say?"

"Well, you must hear him talk. I guess he rather wants to draw me out,
for the most part."