“Ay, we must get rid of that. Now, I’ll tell you what you must do. I shall provide you with ointment, pills, draught and what not, besides a little pick-me-up restorative, and then you must go to your hotel for a few days and rest, and you must get that smart, little valet of yours to rub your back and to look well after you.”
“But I can’t do that, for unfortunately Eben Croft is down himself and cannot get out. He is positively pining for my assistance. However, you must be good enough to accept this bank-note for your advice and these ample remedies. Now I wish to speak to you on another subject, and that, of course, will require another refresher in the way of a fee,” said Falcon, who evidently meant to ingratiate himself with Doctor Peters, and then turn him to account respecting more points than one.
“No, no,” cried the doctor, rejecting the further fee, “enough is as good as a feast.”
“You must oblige, doctor, for I feel that you are my best friend in these parts, and that you will advance my suit and prospects here as much as you can.”
“Pray say no more, Mr Falcon. After this assurance you may implicitly rely upon my giving you not only medical but friendly advice. In short, I feel myself, by some extraordinary fascinating power on your part, to be drawn to you, and I cannot forget that you did my relative a good turn in Sydney, and I shall consider it a duty to espouse your cause here, as long as I find it to be, as I do now, straight and honourable. But do tell me how goes it with Miss Edith? She is one of the purest and most unsophisticated creatures in the world, and you know her pecuniary value, I daresay,” said the doctor, with a chuckle.
“Yes, yes, I am pretty well versed on that point, for our lamented friend, Henry Goodall of Sydney, whom you have seen and talked to, I believe, acquainted me with everything concerning the Doves before I undertook to—”
“Before you undertook to court and carry off Miss Dove,” interrupted the doctor.
“I did not imply as much as that, doctor, for there was no understanding between us of that kind I assure you. However, you may assume that love has cropped up, on my side at anyrate, ever since my arrival.”
“I can very well understand your feelings, Mr Falcon.”
“Scarcely, I think—for mine have been an unthought of outburst of admiration, and I may say, of affection, for Miss Dove—which—”