Page:Round the Red Lamp.djvu/20

 8 feeling far from well, and I lay upon the sofa all the afternoon with a splitting headache and pains in every joint. As evening closed in I could no longer disguise the fact that the scourge was upon me, and I felt that I should have medical advice without delay. It was of Patterson naturally that I thought, but somehow the idea of him had suddenly become repugnant to me. I thought of his cold, critical attitude, of his endless questions, of his tests and his tappings. I wanted something more soothing--something more genial.

"Mrs Hudson," said I to my housekeeper, "would you kindly run along to old Dr Winter and tell him that I should be obliged to him if he would step round?"

She was back with an answer presently.

"Dr. Winter will come round in an hour or so, sir, but he has just been called in to attend Dr. Patterson."