"Doctor, you are one of the best and worthiest of men, and I owe you my life, and I recognise all your excellent qualities; but the practice and love of your art makes you take views of certain questions which are most revolting to me. I leave you. These are things which disgust and pain me; and I foresee that it would be a real punishment to me to be present at your visit. I will wait for you here at the table." "What a strange person you are with these scruples! But I will not let you have quite your own way. So remain here till I come for you." "Now, then, gentlemen," said Doctor Griffon; and he began his round, followed by his numerous auditory. On reaching the first bed on the right hand, the curtains of which were closed, the sister said to the doctor: "Sir, No. 1 died at half past four o'clock this morning." "So late? It astonishes me. Yesterday morning I would not have given her the day through. Has her body been claimed?" "No, sir." "So much the better. It is a very fine one; we will not dissect it, but I will make a man happy." Then turning to one of the pupils, "My dear Dunoyer, you have long desired a subject; your name is down for the first, and it is yours." "Oh, sir, you are too good." "I am only desirous of rewarding your zeal, my dear fellow; but mark the subject--take possession; there are so many who covet it." As the doctor passed onwards, the pupil, with his scalpel, incised very delicately an F. and D. (his initials) on the arm of the defunct actress, in order "to take possession," as the doctor termed it. And the round continued. "Lorraine," said Jeanne Duport, in a low voice, to her neighbour, "who is all this crowd of people with the surgeon?" "It is pupils and students." "Oh, will all these young men look on whilst the doctor asks me questions and examines me?" "Alas, yes!" "But it is in my chest that I am ill; will they examine me before all these men?" "Yes--yes--it must be so. I cried bitterly the first time, and thought I should have died of shame. I resisted, and they threatened to send me away, and that made me so ill. Only imagine, almost naked before everybody! It is very painful." "Before the doctor alone I can easily comprehend it is necessary, and even that is a great deal to submit to; but why before all these young men?" "They learn and practise on us; that is why we are here,--why they admit us into the hospital." "Ah, I understand," said Jeanne Duport, with bitterness; "they give us nothing for nothing. Yet still there are times when even that could not be. Suppose my poor girl Catherine, who is only fifteen, were to come to the hospital, would they dare with her, before so many young men, to--Oh, no! I would rather see her die at home!"