"Yes, you had better!" snarled the doctor, displaying a bright speck of the gold setting of his teeth. "But such a saint as poor Lavinia always seemed!" said Mrs Hardon. "I should never have thought it of her; and if it was not that the poor thing is dead and gone, I should have called it quite disgraceful. But there, we can't afford to talk about such matters, I'm sure;" and she began to rock herself to and fro in her chair and to sob: "O, Tom! you drove that poor girl away,--you did. She would never have left if--" "Hold your tongue!" cried the doctor fiercely. "But you did, Tom; and I shall never forget her look that day I met her in the street--it went like a knife to my heart." Mrs Hardon sat crying silently for some time, while the doctor savagely rustled his paper, but all the while reading not a word, for his lips moved, and he talked fiercely to himself. "There!" cried Mrs Hardon at last, "I won't take on, for it seems of no use, and whether she or I live or die, don't seem to matter to you, Tom. And now I want to know about Octavius's property. How much is it? and are you certain that there was no will?" "I've told you there was none ten times over," said the doctor; "and now wait till the funeral's over, for I won't be bothered." "But, Tom," said Mrs Hardon, "I want to know what is the extent--what it is really worth, and how much you owe." "Never mind," said the doctor. "But I have a right to know," cried Mrs Hardon. "There! I don't know myself," said the doctor. "Then perhaps your solicitors do," said Mrs Hardon; "and I shall, as I have often threatened, ask them." "And much good it will do you," muttered the doctor; but, not liking to run the risk of any exposure of his present differences with his wife, he compromised. "Well," he said, "what is it that you wish to know?" "Why, I told you," said Mrs Hardon; "what Octavius's property is worth, and whether you are quite sure that Septimus--" "You are wanted, sir, if you please," said the maid, appearing at the door. "Who is it?" said the doctor testily, for this was an hour when he objected to being disturbed. "Wouldn't give any name, sir," replied the girl. "Send him round to the surgery," said the doctor. "Please, sir, he's in the front passage, and he said he didn't want the sudgery." "What sort of a man is it?" said the doctor. "Look's like a poor man, sir," said the girl. "How many times have you been told not to leave strangers in the passage!" exclaimed Mrs Hardon angrily. "There'll be another coat gone directly; go and stay with him till your master comes." The maid disappeared, giving the door so loud a shut that it sounded almost like a bang, when the doctor began to complain of fatigue, and being worn out, and Mrs Hardon, who wished to propitiate, offered to go. "Do, please, my love," murmured the doctor, in the most gentle of tones--the professional.