There was a knock at the door, and a fair-haired, merry-eyed young man came in.

"Holloa, Melville!" said Dudley. "Off duty?"

"Ay; Johnston and I have swopped nights this week."

"Anything special on at the hospital?"

"No, nothing since I saw you. That Viking is not going to pull through, after all."

"You don't mean it!"

"Fact. I believe that bed is unlucky. This is the third case that has died in it. All pneumonia, too."

"I believe pneumonia cases ought to be isolated,"

"I know you have a strong theory to that effect. I did an external strabismus to-day."

"Successful?"