A flame more tender and humorous burned in the doctor's eyes.
"Ask her what?"
"Ask her nothing! Ask her!"
"You mean tell her, don't you? Not ask her, my friend and relative; tell her!"
"Well, ask her and tell her, too; they go together!"
"Is it possible! I'm always glad to learn!"
"Then, how old must he be?"
"Well, if you stand in need of the opinion of an experienced physician, as soon as he learns to speak would be about the right period! That would be the safest age! The patient would then have leisure to consider his case before being affected by the disease. You could have time to get singed and step away gradually instead of being roasted alive all at once. Does that sound hard?"
"Not very! Do you love a girl longer if you tell her or if you don't tell her?"
"I'm afraid nobody has ever tried both ways! Suppose you try both, and let us have the benefit of your experience."