doctor was now close to them.

"Ah! Mr. Wallace," he said, "I am glad to see you, and to know that,
so far, you have not taken the disease, although constantly going
into the worst neighbourhoods."

"Like yourself, Dr. Hodges, I have no fear of it."

"I do not say I have no fear," the doctor replied. "I do my duty so
far as I can, but I do not doubt that, sooner or later, I shall catch
the malady, as many of us have done already. I take such precautions
as I can, but the distemper seems to baffle all precautions. My only
grief is that our skill avails so little. So far we have found
nothing that seems to be of any real use. Perhaps if we could attack
it in the earlier stages we might be more successful. The strange
nature of the disease, and the way in which it does its work
well-nigh to the end, before the patient is himself aware of it, puts
it out of our power to combat it. In many cases I am not sent for
until the patient is at the point of death, and by the time I reach
his door I am met with the news that he is dead. But I must be
going."

"One moment, Dr. Hodges. This young gentleman has been expressing to
me his desire to be of use. I know nothing of him save that he was
one of my congregation this morning, but, as he fears not the Plague,
and is moved by a desire to help his fellows in distress, I take it
that he is a good youth. He was wounded in the battle of Lowestoft,
and, being as ready to encounter the Plague as he was the Dutch,
would now fight in the cause of humanity. Would you take him as an
assistant? I doubt if he knows anything of medicine, but I think he