How real and earnest a life he was living now! On this lofty height overlooking the historic scenes which had occupied so large a space in the annals of the past, what wonder if to an ardent poetic mind, romantic yet intensely practical, there often came, in moments of deep sympathy with mankind born of the love of God, high aspirations after noble deeds, and the determination, when his hour came, to go down into the arena and bear his part manfully in the fight! No, Elsworth was not skulking in idle retirement; not shirking his share of work; but because of a deep conviction that there was work for him to do which required his retirement to fit him for it he stayed, and did what lay to his hand, and waited for the summons. The life of the hermits of the Theban Desert was a violation of common sense and true religion, inasmuch as it was all preface and no book; all preparation and girding on of armour, and no work; all tuning of instruments, and no music. The great wonder is, how the fanatics could have stood it so long. Elsworth found that doctors were not held in nearly such high esteem in Spain as in England. They pursued the barbaric methods of treatment which were in vogue here at the beginning of this century, and which, if followed now, would subject the practitioner to a trial for manslaughter. Spain is so far behind the rest of Europe in everything, that it can easily be imagined how perilous it is for an invalid to fall into the hands of the sangrados even of the present day. The Spaniards are celebrated for their proverbs, not a few of which are aimed at the doctors. A popular rhyme goes like this:— “And, doctor, do you really think That asses’ milk I ought to drink? It cured yourself, I grant it true; But then ’twas mother’s milk to you!” His fourth autumn had been passed in Spain, when another terrible epidemic of cholera broke out in Granada and other cities of Andalusia. Now he seemed to learn why he had been sent, hither. Now he could test the reality of his conversion. Now he would realise the dignity of his calling and the strength of his humanity. And he did not flinch.