At that moment a bright light shone upon the scene in front of Dr Chartley's surgery door, for John Whyley gave a turn to the top of the bull's-eye lantern looped on to his belt, and threw up the figures of three men, two of whom were supporting on either side another, whose head hung forward and sidewise, whose legs were bent, and his body in a limp, helpless state, which called forth all the strength of the others to keep him from subsiding in a heap upon the snow. He seemed to be young, heavily bearded, and, as far as his costume could be seen in the yellow glare, he wore high boots and a pea-jacket; while his companions, one of whom was a keen-faced man, with clean-shaved face and a dark moustache, the other rather French-looking from his shortly cropped beard, wore ulsters and close travelling-caps. As the light flashed upon the group, one of the men drew his breath sharply between his teeth, and for a space no one stirred. "Acciden', gentlemen?" said John Whyley, giving a sniff as if he smelt a warm sixpence, but it was only caused by the soot-charged fog. The constable's speech seemed to break the spell, and one of the men spoke out thickly: "Axe'den', constable? Yes, it's all right. Hold him up, Smith. Wants to lie down, constable. Thinks snow is clean sheets." "Oh, that's it, is it, sir?" said John Whyley, examining each face in turn a little suspiciously. "Thought as it was a patient--" "Yes," said the man with the moustache, speaking in a high-pitched voice, "doctor keeps some good stuff. Not all physic, policeman. Here, hold up." This last to the man he was supporting, and upon whose head he now placed a soft felt hat, which he had held in his hand. "Gent seems rather on, sir," said John Whyley, going up more closely. "Ah!" said the first speaker, "you smelt his breath." "'Nough to knock you down, sir," said the constable. "He'll want to come and see the doctor again to-morrow morning." There was a very strong odour of spirits, and in the gloom it did not occur to the constable that the two men who seemed most intoxicated were very bright-eyed, and yet ghastly pale. He merely drew back for the group to pass. "Got to take him far, sir?" "Far? No, constable. Let him lie down and go to sleep. Dishgusting thing man can't come to see friend without getting drunk. Look at me-- and Shmith." "Yes, sir; you're all right enough," said the constable. "Shall I lend you a hand?" "No," said the man with the moustache, "we're all right; get us a cab." "Where, sir?" said the constable, with a grin; "don't believe such a thing's to be got, sir, a night like this. All gone home." At that moment from out of the fog there was a sudden jolt and the whish of a whip. "Hullo?" shouted the policeman. "Hullo!" came back in a husky voice, as if spoken through layers of flannel, "what street's this?" "Ramillies. Here's a fare."