"I sha'n't have any stick, ever!"
And Hannah, in her concern, confided
her forebodings about the stick
to Dr. King.
"I wonder," William said to himself,
uneasily, "if I was wise to tell that child
to hold her tongue? Perhaps they might
have straightened it out between 'em
before this, if she had told him and
been done with it. I've a great mind
to ask Dr. Lavendar."
He did ask him; at first with proper
precautions not to betray a patient's
confidence, but, at a word from Dr.
Lavendar, tumbling into truthfulness.
"You are talking about young Philippa
Roberts?" Dr. Lavendar announced,
calmly, when William was half-way
through his story of concealed identities.
"How did you guess it?" the doctor
said, astonished; "oh, well, yes, I am.
I guess there's no harm telling you--"
"Not the slightest," said Dr. Lavendar,
"especially as I knew it already
from the young man--I mean, I knew
she wouldn't have him. But I didn't
know why until your story dovetailed
with his. William, the thing has
festered in her! The lancet ought to have
been used the next day.
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