Page:Georgie by Dorothea Deakin, 1906.djvu/77

The Goddess Girl degenerated, and that it had only one valve. He said that a shock might kill me at any moment."

Startled and grieved, I expressed at once my deep sympathy and said I hoped it wasn't true. Told him I didn't believe much in specialists, anyhow.

"Neither did I," said poor Muggeridge dejectedly. "Guinea-pigs, I call 'em. Give you ten minutes with a finger on the bell and tell you to come again in three months. But there's no doubt about my heart. It's not a common sort of organ, I can tell you. I went to two or three other chaps and they only confirmed the verdict of the first one."

"How long ago was this?" I asked.

"Oh, three months ago or so! Just after I had got my money. I didn't tell you before because I thought it might shed a gloom over the brilliancy of your honeymoon, don't you know? But it struck me directly I did know, that I should want a good deal of looking after. Not the sort of loving care that's paid for at the rate of 61