their room across the passage: there was no muting these shrill, sweet trebles. And soon Miss Prestwick's thin voice made itself heard, capped by Ma

e chance of slee

ly, and, there being here no morning paper or early post to engage him, retired to the surgery. His cases written up, his visits for the day arranged, he sat and waited, and listened. This was the time when a walking-patient or two might call for treatment; and the footsteps of any one nearing the house could be heard a long way off, crunching the gr

washed, stitched and bandaged a child's gashed knee, and drew a tooth for a miner's wife. Mary's aid was needed here, to hold the woman's hands. It was Mary, too, who applied restorati

the season was but late spring, the shade was welcome. Emerging from the Lagoon enclosure, he entered the single street that formed the township of B

made people dart to their doors to see who passed. Huh! it was only "the new doctor"; an

arded his raised hat and courteous "Good day to you!" "Good morning, sir!" with the colonial'

day Mahony had th

off in his hand. He rapped with his knuckles, and the Reverend Thistlethwaite, in nightshirt and trousers and with bare feet, appeared from his back premises, where he had been feeding fowls. Re-affixing the knocker with a sk

d-faced man, of whom unkind rumour had it that there were times when his tongue tripped

and paper. "Must always have something fresh, you know, of a Sunday morning, to tickle 'em up w

tten a fresh sermon for years; but had used his stale ones again and again, some even said reading them

st time at Harvest Festival. The farmers had given liberally, the church was full, Minch in the reading-desk with his back to a side door that had been left open for coolness. All went well till in the middle of the Psalms, when he saw the eyes of his congregation getting rounder and rounder. Old Minch, who was propriety in person, thought his collar had come undone, or that he'd shed a private button . . . ha, ha! Whereas, if you please, it was a cow which had strayed to the door, and was being agreeably attracted by the farm produce. Minch looked round just as the animal walked in, lost his head, dropped hi

. . . 'for of such is the kingdom of he

ng wooden shanty, to treat a washerwoman's severely scalded leg and foot. The wound, some days old, was open, dirty, o

red a foxy-looking girl who stood by, sucking her thumb, and watching, with an un

cription of complete rest in a horizontal position effectually loosed the sufferer's tongue. "Didn't I know

your pries

ud be - the great lazy louse! We cud

And cutting further discussion short, Mahon

a sovereign from his pocket. "Here, my girl, here's something to tide you

g the low, cunning look that had leapt into the girl's eyes at sight o

ivid with fury. "What d'you mean? D'you think I was goin' to pinch it? M

nd you, you pesky young devil, you hand

er, a monstrously fat woman who stood, her arms a-kimbo, answering his questions with an air of sulky defiance. No she didn't know, not she, what had caused the colic: she'd done 'nothing. But here espying an empty tin

r, she flounced into the shop and, seizing a knife, let loose her spleen in hacking down some chops, while she vociferated for all to hear: "Filthy mess, indeed . . . I'll mess him!

endee more for doctorman, Malia!" said the

! - and you along with

ittle bit to hear the things inside it rattle, their father took his little girls by the hand. Poor mites! They were losing their roses already. Somehow or other he must make it possible to send them away when the real hot weather came. This was no place for children in summer; he he

not. He had to stand about in the sun while the vehicle was dragged out, the horse fetched, harnessed, and backed between the sh

r the close black hood, which weighed on his shoulders like a giant hat. Yet, if he alighted to slip a rail, it was so much hotter outside that he was glad to clamber back beneath its covering. Still he did not complain. These bush visits were what brought the shekels in: not the tinkering with rachitic infants or impecunious Irish,

red. He began to grow fidgety. The case was one of diphtheria. On the previous day he had given relief by opening the windpipe; it was essential for him to know the result of the operation. What co

ingers. Or sat down and beat a tattoo on chair-arm or t

l. The likelihood was, he would have come himself, had the child been worse. UNLESS, of course . . . well! it wasn't death SHE thought of. But the township of Mittagunga was not much farther than Barambogie from the patient's home; an

for an eight-mile drive on these abominable roads, to perform a ticklish operation!" And

t prepared to stir up the heated dis

. For when in one of his really black moods, he seemed to retire where words could not get at him. And these moods were growing on him. Nowadays, any small mishap sufficed to throw him into a state of excitement, the aftermath of which was bottomless depression. How would it all end? - Letting her work fall, Mary put her chin in her hand, and sat staring into the flame of the kerosene lamp. But she did not see it. She seemed to be looking thr

ok herself free. "Tch! . . . it comes o

she stepped out on the verandah, her fir

house the Lagoon lay like a sheet of beaten silver. Trees and bushes, jet-black on one side, were white as if with hoar frost on th

e waiting up any longer. They

ried. I coul

est you. As it is, you'r

n . . . the responsibility . . . my practice here - I ca

gh that was like a little prayer for pa