The doctor did not see the point, and thought there was none.
"You will only carry the infection," he said.
"I will take every precaution," answered Hester. "I always take more, I am certain, than it can be possible for you to take. Why should not I also do my part to help them through?"
"While the parish is in my care," answered the doctor, "I must object to whatever increases the risk of infection. It is hard while we are doing all we can to stamp out the disease, to have you, with the best of motives I admit, carrying it from one house to another. How are we to keep it out of the West End, if you ladies carry the seeds of it?"
The hard-worked man spoke with some heat.
"So the poor brothers are to be left for fear of hurting the rich ones?"
"That's not fair—you know it is not!" said the doctor. "We are set here to fight the disease, and fight it we must."
"And I am set here to fight something worse," returned Hester with a smile.
The doctor came out and shut the door.
"I must beg of you to go away," he said. "I shall be compelled to mention in my report how you and other ladies add to our difficulties."