"I was going to propose--being a stranger to you, sir--to pay in advance." The announcement was made with a tremulous, but triumphant, _hauteur_, as though it must cover the physician with mortification. The speaker stretched out a rather long leg, and, drawing a pocket-book, produced a twenty-dollar piece. The Doctor looked full in his face with impatient surprise, then turned his eyes away again as if he restrained himself, and said, in a subdued tone:-- "I would rather you had haggled about the price." "I don't hear"--said the other, turning his ear. The Doctor waved his hand:-- "Put that up, if you please." The young stranger was disconcerted. He remained silent for a moment, wearing a look of impatient embarrassment. He still extended the piece, turning it over and over with his thumb-nail as it lay on his fingers. "You don't know me, Doctor," he said. He got another cruel answer. "We're getting acquainted," replied the physician. The victim of the sarcasm bit his lip, and protested, by an unconscious, sidewise jerk of the chin:-- "I wish you'd"--and he turned the coin again. The physician dropped an eagle's stare on the gold. "I don't practise medicine on those principles." "But, Doctor," insisted the other, appeasingly, "you can make an exception if you will. Reasons are better than rules, my old professor used to say. I am here without friends, or letters, or credentials of any sort; this is the only recommendation I can offer." "Don't recommend you at all; anybody can do that." The stranger breathed a sigh of overtasked patience, smiled with a baffled air, seemed once or twice about to speak, but doubtful what to say, and let his hand sink. "Well, Doctor,"--he rested his elbow on his knee, gave the piece one more turn over, and tried to draw the physician's eye by a look of boyish pleasantness,--"I'll not ask you to take pay in advance, but I will ask you to take care of this money for me. Suppose I should lose it, or have it stolen from me, or--Doctor, it would be a real comfort to me if you would." "I can't help that. I shall treat your wife, and then send in my bill." The Doctor folded arms and appeared to give attention to his driver. But at the same time he asked:-- "Not subject to epilepsy, eh?" "No, sir!" The indignant shortness of the retort drew no sign of attention from the Doctor; he was silently asking himself what this nonsense meant. Was it drink, or gambling, or a confidence game? Or was it only vanity, or a mistake of inexperience? He turned his head unexpectedly, and gave the stranger's facial lines a quick, thorough examination. It startled them from a look of troubled meditation. The physician as quickly turned away again. "Doctor," began the other, but added no more.