That doctor was not the type of the grasping specialist; he did not seem to be the kind of man who would charge as much as a patient would be likely to be able to pay--all that the traffic would bear. But who is, when you come to know them? Probably the doctors of that type, in any large city, could be counted on the fingers of one hand. I know of one conspicuous example, and one only, and he is dead now. But he squeezed out large fees while he lived, and became very rich; and he was so busy with his squeezing that he had no time to enjoy his gains--I had almost said his ill-gotten gains. But that is by the way. This doctor of Fox's--we will call him Doctor Galen, for the sake of a name--this Doctor Galen was a kindly man, who had sat leaning one elbow on the table and looking out at Fox under a shading hand and half smiling. That half smile invited confidence, and, backed by the pleasant eyes, it usually got it. Whether that was the sole reason for its being is beside the question; but probably it was not. In response to the doctor's remark, Fox smiled, too, and shook his head. "Am I to see this patient of yours?" asked Doctor Galen casually. Fox was distinctly embarrassed. "Is it absolutely necessary, Doctor?" he asked, in return. "It is difficult to arrange that--without a complete change of base," he added. "It might be done, I suppose, but I don't see how, at this minute." "The only reason that it might be necessary," said the doctor, speaking slowly, "is that you may have neglected some symptom that is of importance, while seeming to you to be of no consequence whatever. It is always desirable to see a patient. I have to take into account, for example, the whole life history, which may be of importance--and it may not." Fox made no answer to this, but he looked troubled and he drummed with his fingers upon his knee. "Can't we assume the patient to be--merely for the sake of fixing our ideas--" Doctor Galen continued, looking away and searching for his example, "well--er--Professor Ladue? Or, no, he won't do, for I saw him a few days ago, in quite his usual health. Quite as usual." "You know Professor Ladue, then, Doctor?" "Oh, yes, I know him," the doctor replied dryly. "Well, as I said, he won't do. Let us suppose that this case were that of--er--Mrs. Ladue." The doctor looked at Fox and smiled his pleasant smile. "She will answer our purpose as well as another." "Do you know Mrs. Ladue, too?" "No," said Doctor Galen. "No, I have not that pleasure. But I know her husband. That," he added, "may be of more importance, in the case we have assumed--with the symptoms as you have related them." Fox smiled very slightly. "Well, suppose that it were Mrs. Ladue, then,--as an instance. Assuming that I have given all the symptoms, what should you say was the matter with her?"