Another rap, louder somewhat than the former, announces another physician, or a consulting surgeon. The general practitioner, taking advantage of his intimacy with the family, may have perhaps very sensibly walked in without knocking at all. They are now all assembled in the library, and, having remarked on a "Storm Scene" by Gaspar Poussin, which hangs over the fire-place, we leave them to the preliminaries of a consultation. Presently they are introduced to the patient, on whom the knocking has already had some effect. A short pause, and they are again assembled in the library. In a few minutes the bell rings, and the father of a fine young woman is summoned to hear their decision. As he proceeds, he stealthily removes a straggling tear that, with all care, would get out of bounds, enters the library, and hears the result of the consultation. Neatly enveloped _honoraria_ are presented to the consultants, the bell has rung, Thomas has shown the gentlemen to their respective vehicles, and and so ends the consultation. The father, a widower, returns to the drawing-room, and his second daughter says: "Well, papa, what do the doctors say of Emily?" "Well, my dear, they say that Emily is very ill; that she requires great care; that they cannot say positively, but hope she may ultimately do well. They entirely coincide with our friend Mr. Smith Jones as to the nature of the disease, and think his treatment of the case has been highly judicious. They say there are some points on which the case may turn, but of which they cannot speak positively to-day; but they hope to be able to do so when they meet again, which they are to do the day 'after to-morrow.' They all seem to consider the nervous system very much affected. They say we must keep Emily very quiet. She is to have any light diet she desires, and to have some new medicine to-morrow. The cod-liver oil, they say, has done her all the good now that it is calculated to do, and she is this evening to take a composing draught." The family are silent, and so ends the consultation. What! and are all consultations like that? No, reader, we hope not. Many a valuable life has, we believe, been saved or prolonged by consultation; and perhaps many more would be, if people would only _think a little more before_ they act in such important matters.