to his patient without taking his eye

This opportune reflection, and her heaving bosom, proved that she at least felt herself something more than his patient. Her pretty consciousness made his task more difficult

l," said

it was palpitating, and a fallacious test. Oh, how that beating puls

winced internally at the change in her; but his face betrayed nothing. He looked at her full; and, after

inge of

e hopefully,

ressed

r breath while he was listening. The acts were simple, and usual in medicine,

both hands on a table, and his old head

touched her with his hand, and only grazed her with his ear; but now he said "Allow me," and put both han

he

a deeper still," sa

said she, a l

nes's ey

nsiderable pause, "Are you bette

hey never asked me

aintn

a b

nse of relie

l lighter a

ation was

ny in that aged face, and the love that agony implied, won

hage is fro

him: "From the lungs!

t congestion

ble! Oh, not in

s curable-easily-by

t is the

looked rather uneasy.-"Well,

"Why, I am the loosest girl in England. Look, papa!" And, without any apparent effort,

shy of encountering the lady in this argument; but he was more at his

lous feat, with a calm countenance that belies the herculean effort. Nature has her every-day miracles: a boa-constrictor, diameter seventeen inches, can swallow a buffalo; a woman, with her stays bisec

e comparison!" cried Ro

able. "I did not mean to be offensive; i

ignan, impatiently. "Be quiet, Rosa,

in the business!" said

ggested he, obsequiously, "if you don't mind, I would ra

etty subj

o explain the matter anatomically. "Meantime," said he, "would you be

atient began to titter directly,

t takes place when

the patient. Breathe your

on a face full

lige u

ow tir

ous," said Staines, a little dr

itefully. "There! And I do hope it will be

"You found, sir, that the muscles of my waist, and my intercostal ribs thems

waist was like dead wood,

to her temples. "Thanks, papa! Pack me o

mark the special result in this case: being otherwise healthy and vigorous, our patient's system sends into the lungs more blood than that one crippled organ can deal with; a small quantity becomes extravasated at odd times; it accumulates, and would become dangerous; then Nature, strengthened by sleep, and by some hours' relief from the diabolical engine, makes an effort and flings it off: that is why the hemorrhage comes in the morning, and why she is the better for it, feeling neither faint nor

, with an abruptness that touched the f

fore he left the house, and thanked him warmly; and to

a, what do

ows nothing. Dr. Snell is Mr. Wyman's echo. Christopher is a genius, and they are

dd. "But, after all," said he,

cribed would have done me good, a

his skill, why not take his

d; and that would be sure to settle on my chest, and carry me off, in m

s afraid to press the point; but what

continued their visits

t got a li

ristopher would call

unded pride found an entrance even into his loving heart. That two strangers should

o receive another call ere this. "Personally," said he, "I was much struck with your observations; but my da

ellows, and you tell her so. 'Oh, no,' says she; and does the gigantic feat of contraction we witnessed that evening at your house. But, on inquiry, you learn there is a raw red line ploughed in her flesh by the cruel stays. 'What is that?' you ask, and flatter yourself you have pinned her.

et delicate organs, so that they should be free and secure from friction, though so close to each other. He showed him the liver, an organ weighing four pounds, and of large circumference; th

im by the eye, he t

e, by a powerful, a very powerful and ingenious machine? Is it a small thing for that sex, which, for good reasons, the Omniscient has made larger in the waist th

is trite subject, that the old gentleman was convinced, and

of her sex undergoes a change the moment a man interferes with their dress. From Chaucer's day to our own, neither public satire nor private remonstrance has ever shaken any of their monstrous fashions. Easy, obliging, pliable,

ctly she was worse. "Of course," said h

and an evasion, "I was

ng his patient to the druggist; and when

ad with an air of

was silent. Rosa smiled sarcastically

for he felt science would fall dead upon so fair an antagonist. At last his eye kindled; he had hit on an ar

I do, every

lessons i

tain

rgain? In short, he preferred his leprosy to such irregular medicine. But it happened, by some immense fortuity, that one of his servants, though an Oriental, was a friend, instead of a flatterer; and this sensible fellow said, 'If the prophet told you to do some great and difficult thing, to get rid of this fearful malady, would not you do it, however distasteful? and can you hesitate when he merely says, Wash in the Jordan, and be healed?' The general listened to good sense, and cured himself. Your

s is shockingly profane. The idea of comparing yourself to Elisha, an

aid Mr. Lusignan. "He only compar

not to be dragged into th

n earth is t

o now let us go back from divinity to medicine. I repeat" (this was the first time she had said it) "that my other doctors g

aid, "And are your other doctors satisfied with the prog

'll find him their prescriptions." She went to

r, I must tell you they are confiden

" shouted

Rosa. "Oh, do

with a look of misery and apprehension imp

ice that was now barely audible a yard off. "The hemorrhage o

ve assured me again and

ook of blank amazement, till Rosa

urther to do with this case, until those two gentlemen have been relieved of it; and, as this is very harsh, and on my part unprecedented, I will give you one reason out of many I COULD give you. Sir, there is no road from the liver to the throat by which blood can travel in this way, defying the laws of gravity; and they knew, f

"Good heavens!" said he, "

of t

o be supplied? Why, by taking a little more nourishment than before; there is no other way; and probably Nature, left to herself, might have increased your appetite to meet the occasion. But those two worthies have struck that weapon out of Nature's hand; they have peppered away at the poor ill

signan. "I declare, I-I wish

l do tha

is not wor

hrew their medicines away, I was always a little better that day. I will sacrifice them to you. I

t attention they had paid her; but finding herself getting steadily worse, in spite of all they

l to see whether you

se, papa-'n

e addressed a

ing and drinking under the head of medicines. These discontinued, she might linger on for years, existing, though not living-the tight-laced cannot be said to live. But if she would be healthy and happy, let her throw that diab

ted with her doctors for him, but she really could not go a

hristopher. "Please go on to No. 2. How about the r

or other has been peeping in at my windo

at out of the bag. There is such a mark, then, and this extr

" said Rosa, red as fire; "and

be very sorry to. I hope

" said Rosa, angry with herself for having said an idiot

stopher, in a voice o

you snapping at your best friend and mine. If you are excited, you ha

t this rebuke, and the

r, sir," said he, ready to snivel himself. "She meant nothing unkind: it is only h

," said this reasonable young lady, now in an

Neither she nor I can forget my double character. I have not said half as much to her as I ought, being her physician; and yet you see I have said more than she can be

iness have gentlemen interfering in such things? It is

he shrugged his shoulders to Staines. "She is impracticabl

said she loved him, or, at all events, preferred him to others,-and you cannot part her from a miserable corset, although you see in her poor wasted face that it is carrying her to the churchyard. In that case, sir, there is but one thing for you to do,-withdraw your o

e said, "I have a great mind to take you at your word. I am to

ly, inflicted so intolerable a wound on Rosa's vanity, that she was ready to burst: on that, of course, her stays contributed their mite of physical uneasiness.

told me a different story when you were paying your court to me; then you were to be my servant,-all hypocritical sweetness. You had better go and marry a Circassian slave. They don't wear stays, and they do wear trousers; so she will be unfeminine enough,

ion with a dignity of which the opening gave no promise, and

You cannot mean it," sa

f you are a gentleman, you will not compe

said he, quietly, "and a very unfortunate one. Good-by, sir; thank you kindly. Good-by, Rosa; God bless

sorrow, and just, but n

r looked at each other, and there wa

Such impertinence! Such indelicacy! A fine prospect for me if I had married such a man! However, he is gone, and so there's an end of it. The idea! telling a young lady, befor

a, hoping to still her by exam

t. I won't bear it. If you don't believe ME, ask my MA

you don't mind," suggest

be broken as well as my heart? Oh, h

, mi

truth. AM I

ired of her, and then said, "That you are not, miss. I n

! That will

r as the keyhole; she

them all. Forgive your wayward girl. I'll stay with you all my days. I dare say that will not be long, now I have quarrelled with my guardian angel; and all for what? Papa! papa! how CAN you sit there and not speak me one word o

sterics, and began to gu

scissors off the table, and cut the young lady's stay-laces directly. Then there was a burst of imprisoned beauty; a deep, deep sigh of rel

soothe her, said he would write to Dr. Staines,

hall kill me sooner. I

from this hour, never

she had a

for the present; but he made up his mind to one thing-

e. She spent her time in sewing on stiff flannel linings and crying. She half hoped Christ

ngrateful for not seeing through the stone walls how she had been employed all the morning; and making it up. So sh

m after dinner, two letters came by the same po

man's

nds to discontinue medical advice. The disorder was progressi

rs,

ell's

nse with my visits. I do not, however, think it right to withdraw without telling you cand

rs,

comes of writing without a consultation. If they had written at one table, I should have

e! drink a g

th it, that ran into t

all emotional subjects for the present. Next day, however, he told her she might dismiss h

se for inflicting him on me ag

ot better and better, st

increasing the distance, till she c

pass through the town of Gravesend; and we may be sure she did not pass so often through that city wi

town, and never seen him, she began to fear she had offended

t. Said she, "If he really loved me, he would not take my word in such a hurry. And

lighted girl. She was very angry at times, and disconsolate at others; a mi

roubled his head but little about Christopher Staines. Yet he esteemed him, and had got to like him; but Rosa was a beauty, and could do better than marry a struggling physician, howe

burdened with principle, and adopts the notion that, the world having plucked him, he has a right to pluck the world. He could play billiards well, but never so well as when backing himself for a heavy stake. He could shoot pigeons well, and his shooting improved under that which makes some marksmen miss-a heavy bet against the gun. He danced to perfection; and being a well-bred, experienced, brazen, adroit fellow, who knew a little of everything that was going, he had always plenty to say. Above all, he had made a parti

ittle; for he fell in love with her that night, deeper than he had ever been in his whole life of intrigue. He asked leave to call on her: she looked a little shy at that, and did not respond. He instantly withdrew h

next waltz he asked her if he might ventur

What a selfish girl I am! th

in various coin: Lusignan found out he was the son of an old acquaintance, and so the door of Kent Villa opened to him; meantime, Rosa Lusignan never passed him, even in the arms of a cav

another, and admired Rosa with so little disguise that Mr. Lusignan said to her, "I think you

Rosa, "he dances like an angel, and

xiety ceased, his pride stung him furiously; he began to think of his own value, and to struggle with all his might against his deep love. Sometimes he would even inveigh against her, and call her a fickle, ungrateful girl, capable of no strong passion but vanity. Many a hard term he applied to her in his sorrowful solitude; but not a word when he had a

He began to look very thin an

ghborhood, and drove a handsome dogcart

'clock, for at that hour Mr. Lusignan was a

new admirer was in bed, or dressing, or breakfasting, she was springing along the road

ressing-gown and donned his coat to follow her. He was madly in love with her, and being a man who had learned to shoot pigeons and opportunities flying, he instantly resolved to join her in her walk, get her clear of the town, by the sea-beach, where beauty melts, and propose to her. Yes, mar

fast can cover the ground wonderfully in walking-if she chooses. It was a sight to see how Rosa Lusignan squared her shoulders

d the town before Fal

nd the corner of Bird Street, and ran plump against Christopher Staines; in fact, she