"Oh, if she came here she must make up her mind to do as the others do,--as you and I. But hold your tongue; if the poor young lady in front hears you--they say she was rich, and, perhaps, has never left her mother before,--and yet her turn comes now. Only think how confused and distressed she will be." "I shudder when I think of her! Poor child!" "Hush, Jeanne! Here is the doctor!" said Lorraine. After having quickly visited several patients who presented nothing remarkable in their cases, the doctor at last came to Jeanne. At the sight of this crowd coming around her bed, anxious to see and learn, the poor creature, overcome with fear and shame, pulled the bed-clothes tightly around her. The severe and meditative countenance of the doctor, his penetrating glance, his eyebrows, always drawn down by his reflective habit, his abrupt mode of speech, impatient and quick, increased the alarm of poor Jeanne. "A new subject!" said the doctor, as he read the placard in which was inscribed the nature of the patient's malady, and throwing on Jeanne a lengthened look of scrutiny. There was a profound silence amongst the assistants, who, in imitation of the prince of science, fixed a scrutinising glance on the patient. After an examination of several minutes, the doctor, remarking something wrong in the yellow tint of the patient's eyeball, approached her more closely, and, raising the lid with his finger, examined it silently. Then several of the students, responding to the kind of mute invitation of their professor, drew near, and gazed at Jeanne's eye with attention. The doctor then began: "Your name?" "Jeanne Duport," she murmured, more and more alarmed. "Are you married?" "Alas, yes, sir!" with a profound sigh. "Have you any children?" Here, instead of replying, the poor mother gave way to a flood of tears. "It is no use crying,--answer! Have you any children?" "Yes, sir,--two little boys, and a girl of sixteen." Then followed a string of questions impossible to repeat, but to which Jeanne could only reply in stammering, and after many severe rebukes from the doctor. The poor woman was overwhelmed with shame, compelled as she was to reply aloud to such questions before such a numerous auditory. The doctor, completely absorbed by scientific feelings, did not give the smallest heed to Jeanne's distress, and continued: "How long have you been ill?" "Four days, sir," replied Jeanne, drying her tears. "Tell us how your illness first disclosed itself." "Sir,--why,--there are so many persons here, that I dare not." "Pooh! Where do you come from, my dear woman?" inquired the doctor, impatiently; "would you like to have a confessional brought? Come, come, make haste!" "Sir, these are family matters." "Oh, be easy, we are all family men here; a large family, too, as you see," added the prince of science, who was in very high spirits that day. "Come, come, let us have an end of this."