B. B. [archly] Aha! Ha ha! Aha! [trilling like a lark as he shakes his finger at Walpole]. You removed her nuciform sac. Well, well! force of habit! force of habit! Never mind, ne-e-e-ver mind. She got back her voice after it, and thinks you the greatest surgeon alive; and so you are, so you are, so you are. WALPOLE [in a tragic whisper, intensely serious] Blood-poisoning. I see. I see. [He sits down again]. SIR PATRICK. And how is a certain distinguished family getting on under your care, Sir Ralph? B. B. Our friend Ridgeon will be gratified to hear that I have tried his opsonin treatment on little Prince Henry with complete success. RIDGEON [startled and anxious] But how-- B. B. [continuing] I suspected typhoid: the head gardener's boy had it; so I just called at St Anne's one day and got a tube of your very excellent serum. You were out, unfortunately. RIDGEON. I hope they explained to you carefully-- B. B. [waving away the absurd suggestion] Lord bless you, my dear fellow, I didnt need any explanations. I'd left my wife in the carriage at the door; and I'd no time to be taught my business by your young chaps. I know all about it. Ive handled these anti-toxins ever since they first came out. RIDGEON. But theyre not anti-toxins; and theyre dangerous unless you use them at the right time. B. B. Of course they are. Everything is dangerous unless you take it at the right time. An apple at breakfast does you good: an apple at bedtime upsets you for a week. There are only two rules for anti-toxins. First, dont be afraid of them: second, inject them a quarter of an hour before meals, three times a day. RIDGEON [appalled] Great heavens, B. B., no, no, no. B. B. [sweeping on irresistibly] Yes, yes, yes, Colly. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, you know. It was an immense success. It acted like magic on the little prince. Up went his temperature; off to bed I packed him; and in a week he was all right again, and absolutely immune from typhoid for the rest of his life. The family were very nice about it: their gratitude was quite touching; but I said they owed it all to you, Ridgeon; and I am glad to think that your knighthood is the result. RIDGEON. I am deeply obliged to you. [Overcome, he sits down on the chair near the couch]. B. B. Not at all, not at all. Your own merit. Come! come! come! dont give way. RIDGEON. It's nothing. I was a little giddy just now. Overwork, I suppose. WALPOLE. Blood-poisoning. B. B. Overwork! Theres no such thing. I do the work of ten men. Am I giddy? No. NO. If youre not well, you have a disease. It may be a slight one; but it's a disease. And what is a disease? The lodgment in the system of a pathogenic germ, and the multiplication of that germ. What is the remedy? A very simple one. Find the germ and kill it. SIR PATRICK. Suppose theres no germ? B. B. Impossible, Sir Patrick: there must be a germ: else how could the patient be ill? SIR PATRICK. Can you shew me the germ of overwork?