habitual ill-temper had combined to absorb every expression.

"This is the doctor of the regiment, sir, that you desired to see," said
my tall coadjutor.

"Oh! then very well; good morning, sir. I suppose you will find out
something new the matter, for them two there have been doing so every
day this two months."

"I trust, sir," I replied stiffly, "that with the assistance of my
learned friends, much may be done for you. Ha! hem! So this is the
malady. Turn your head a little to that side;" here an awful groan
escaped the sick man, for I, it appears, had made considerable impression
upon rather a delicate part, not unintentionally I must confess; for as I
remembered Hoyle's maxim at whist, "when in doubt play a trump," so I
thought it might be true in physic, when posed by a difficulty to do a
bold thing also. "Does that hurt you, sir?" said I in a soothing and
affectionate tone of voice. "Like the devil," growled the patient. "And
here?" said I. "Oh! oh! I can't bear it any longer." "Oh! I perceive,"
said I, "the thing is just as I expected." Here I raised my eyebrows,
and looked indescribably wise at my confreres.

"No aneurism, doctor," said the tall one.

"Certainly not."

"Maybe," said the short man, "maybe it's a stay-at-home-with-us tumour
after all;" so at least he appeared to pronounce a confounded technical,
which I afterwards learned was "steatomatous;" conceiving that my rosy
friend was disposed to jeer at me, I gave him a terrific frown, and