“Well—er—yes, sir,” hesitated the lad.
“Out with it, boy. Never play with your medical man. No half-confidences. I can pretty well read you, Archie, so out with it frankly.”
“Well, sir, I did half make up my mind to speak to you, and came this morning on purpose; and then as soon as I saw you I felt that it was foolish—a sort of fancy of mine.”
“Well, go on; let me judge. You have got something the matter with you?”
“That’s what I don’t quite know, sir,” said the young man, who was now scarlet.
“Well, don’t shilly-shally. Let me judge. Is it some bodily ailment?”
“No, sir.”
“Glad of it. What is it, then? It can’t be money.”
“Oh no, sir.”
“Of course not. No temptations here to spend. Then you have got into some big scrape?”