“Do, by all means, if it would be any relief to you,” returned the other cheerfully. “But I ought to tell you that I fear you are on the brink of a very serious illness, and that it would be better for you to get into a quieter place while you can be moved.”
“But I am very comfortable here, doctor.”
“For the moment; but you will need more quiet than you can get at an hotel, however well-conducted it may be. You will be obliged to have a nurse——”
“Never!” he cried emphatically. “Sairey Gamp has always been my bugbear!”
“So she has mine,” was the reply. “And, therefore, all the nurses I recommend are comparatively young, and are always bright and pleasant-looking.”
“And do they have a bottle of gin on the mantelpiece to put their lips to when so disposed?”
“My nurses are teetotalers; all they expect in the way of stimulant is plenty of strong tea, and I don’t imagine you would grudge them that.”
“Not if they drink it elsewhere; but I don’t want coddling, doctor. I shall be all right again in a day or two, no doubt.”
The other shook his head.
“I don’t want to be a Job’s comforter, but I can’t say I see much chance of that. Anyhow, if you will stay at this hotel you had better move into quieter rooms on an upper landing. You cannot surely object to that?”