“You will not mind?”
“Of course not, sir.”
“Then go to that drawer, and you will find scissors, lint, bandages, and strapping.”
I went to the drawer, and there, neatly arranged, were the articles he had described, in company with many more.
“Now get water, sponge, and towel,” he said, and this I did.
“Now go to work and cut away the hair, so that you can see what damage is done.”
“But I’m afraid—”
“What?”
“Of hurting you.”
“Then set that aside, boy,” he said, smiling. “A surgeon must take all the care he can, but he must not be afraid of hurting his patient. Go on.”