SIR HERBERT JENNER FUST what would you say To Doctors' Commons being done away! No wonder its machinery is rusty, Since in _your_ time at best it was but Fusty! * * * * * LYRE AND LANCET. (_A Story in Scenes._) PART XIV.--LE VETÉRINAIRE MALGRÉ LUI. SCENE XXIII.--_Outside the Stables at Wyvern._ TIME--_About 10_ P.M. _Undershell_ (_to himself, as he follows_ ADAMS). Now is my time to arrange about getting away from here. (_To_ ADAMS.) By the bye, I suppose you can let me have a conveyance of some sort--after I've seen the horse? I--I'm rather in a hurry. _Adams._ You'd better speak to Mr. CHECKLEY about that, Sir; it ain't in _my_ department, you see. I'll fetch him round, if you'll wait here a minute; he'd like to hear what you think about the 'orse. [_He goes off to the coachman's quarters._ _Und._ (_alone_). A very civil fellow this; he seems quite anxious to show me this animal! There must be _something_ very remarkable about it. [ADAMS _returns with_ CHECKLEY. _Adams._ Mr. CHECKLEY, our 'ed coachman, Mr. UNDERSHELL. He's coming in along with us to 'ear what you say, if you've no objections. _Und._ (_to himself_). I must make a friend of this coachman, or else ----(_Aloud._) I shall be charmed, Mr. CHECKLEY. I've only a very few minutes to spare; but I'm most curious to see this horse of yours. _Checkley._ He ain't one o' _my_ 'orses, Sir. If he _'ad_ been----But there, I'd better say nothing about it. _Adams_ (_as he leads the way into the stables, and turns up the gas_). There, Sir, that's _Deerfoot_ over there in the loose box. _Und._ (_to himself_). He seems to me much like any _other_ horse! However, I can't be wrong in admiring. (_Aloud, as he inspects him through the rails._) Ah, indeed? he _is_ worth seeing! A magnificent creature! _Adams_ (_stripping off_ Deerfoot's _clothing_). He's a good 'orse, Sir. Her ladyship won't trust herself on no other animal, not since she 'ad the influenzy so bad. She'd take on dreadful if I 'ad to tell her he wouldn't be fit for no more work, she would! _Und._ (_sympathetically_). I can quite imagine so. Not that he seems in any danger of _that_! _Check._ (_triumphantly_). There, you 'ear that, ADAMS? The minute he set eyes on the 'orse! _Adams._ Wait till Mr. UNDERSHELL has seen him move a bit, and see what he says _then_. _Check._ If it was what _you_ think, he'd never be standing like he is now, depend upon it. _Adams._ You _can't_ depend upon it. He 'eard us coming, and he's quite artful enough to draw his foot back for fear o' getting a knock. (_To_ UNDERSHELL.) I've noticed him very fidgety-like on his forelegs this last day or two. _Und. Have_ you, though? (_To himself._) I hope he won't be fidgety with his _hind_-legs. I shall stay outside. _Adams._ I cooled him down with a rubub and aloes ball, and kep 'im on low diet; but he don't seem no better.