The Professor looked in despair at the Doctor, and Steinberg gallantly came to the rescue. “You forget, my dear Mrs. Battleby,” he commenced softly, “that I, as a medical man, take the greatest interest in a case like this. In fact, it is not too much to say that I would pay a good deal to keep Hannah Stubbs under my own eye for a few months. If you are determined to part with her, of course there is nothing more to be said about it, but I shall endeavour, in that case, to re-engage her for some of my brother professionals. But I thought I might manage to see her here and more conveniently, and benefit you a little into the bargain. Now--supposing you agree to let Hannah remain under your protection, what would be the cost of having in a woman to look after the house during your possible absence, and do her work, every evening for a couple of hours?” “I don’t know, I’m sure, Sir,” replied the landlady with a sniff, for she did not like the interest being excited by “that ’ussy Hannah”, “there’s more things to be considered than the work. I may not care, nor more I don’t, to ’ave a stranger a’messing over my property, and a’picking up everything as she can lay ’er ’ands on whilst I’m away.” “I see!” replied the Doctor, thoughtfully, “then name your own conditions, Mrs. Battleby, and I will see if I can agree to them.” “I don’t know as I have any conditions to name, Sir,” said the woman, still more ruffled, “the gal’s my servant, and can’t leave me any’ow under ’er month, and me without ’elp of any kind. But if you wants to ’ave ’er up here of an evening, and physic ’er and all that sort of thing, why I don’t like to refuse a offer made in kindness, and p’r’aps you wouldn’t consider as to pay ’er wages would be too much compensation for all the trouble and ill-convenience it’ll put me to.” “Perhaps not!” replied Steinberg, who had taken upon himself to be spokesman on the occasion, “but what are her wages?” “Ten poun’ a year, and heverythink found!” “Now, look here, Mrs. Battleby,” continued the Doctor, “as this is a case which promises to afford me some interest and to be phenomenal----” “Lor! is it raly?” exclaimed the landlady. “I didn’t think the pore gal was as bad as that!” “----I am willing to pay you ten shillings a week so long as we shall require her services--I mean, until I shall have cured her complaint, or pronounced it incurable! We doctors are always ready to pay for our little fads, you know!” “And ’andsomely, too, I’m sure, Sir,” exclaimed Mrs. Battleby, now wreathed in smiles at the prospect of getting her drudge for nothing, “and I gives my full permission for Hannah to attend on you here hevery evening, if so be you wishes it!” “O! no! thank you! Three times a week will be quite sufficient, if you will give us the whole evening from after tea to supper. I am so often with my friend Signor Ricardo, that it will be more convenient for me to operate on her here, than at the hospital.”