He ran his eyes over Mr. Halliburton as he spoke; over his tall, fine form, his dark hair, amidst which not a streak of grey mingled, his clearly-cut features, and his complexion, bright as a woman's. Was there suspicion in that complexion? "A handsome man, at any rate," thought the gazer, "if not a robust one." "It will be necessary, then, that I see your physician?" asked Mr. Halliburton. "Yes. It cannot be dispensed with. We would not insure without it. He attends here twice a week. In the intervening days, he may be seen in Savile-row, from three to five. It is Dr. Carrington. His days for coming here are Mondays and Thursdays." "And this is Friday," remarked Mr. Halliburton. "I shall probably go up to him." Mr. Halliburton said good morning, and came away with his paper. "It's great nonsense, my seeing this doctor!" he said to himself as he hastened home to dinner, which he knew he must have kept waiting. "But I suppose it is necessary as a general rule; and of course they won't make me an exception." Hurrying over his dinner, in a manner that prevented its doing him any good--as Jane assured him--he sat down to his desk when it was over and wrote for the certificate of his birth. Folding and sealing the letter, he put on his hat to go out again. "Shall you go to Savile-row this afternoon?" Jane inquired. "If I can by any possibility get my teaching over in time," he answered. "Young Finchley's hour is four o'clock, but I can put him off until the evening. I dare say I shall get up there." By dint of hurrying, Mr. Halliburton contrived to reach Savile-row, and arrived there in much heat at half-past four. There was no necessity for hurrying there on this particular day, but he felt impatient to get the business over; as if speed now could atone for past neglect. Dr. Carrington was at home but engaged, and Mr. Halliburton was shown into a room. Three or four others were waiting there; whether ordinary patients, or whether mere applicants of form like himself, he could not tell; and it was their turn to go in before it was his. But his turn came at last, and he was ushered into the presence of the doctor--a little man, fair and reserved, with powder on his head. Reserved in ordinary intercourse, but certainly not reserved in asking questions. Mr. Halliburton had never been so rigidly questioned before. What disorders had he had, and what had he not had? What were his habits, past and present? One question came at last: "Do you feel thoroughly strong?--healthy, elastic?" "I feel languid in hot weather," replied Mr. Halliburton. "Um! Appetite sound and good?" "Generally speaking. It has not been so good of late." "Breathing all right?" "Yes; it is a little tight sometimes." "Um! Subject to a cough?" "I have no settled cough. A sort of hacking cough comes on at night occasionally. I attribute it to fatigue."