“Thank you, doctor—much obliged to you.”
“Now, Resident, I must beg you to excuse me. I must be off at once as I have a number of visits to pay. Good-bye, sir—good-bye, Verstork.”
“No excuse required, doctor,” said van Gulpendam, “don’t let me detain you; good-morning!”
As soon as the medical officer had disappeared van Gulpendam turned to Verstork and said:
“You heard that—didn’t you, Mr. Verstork?”
“Oh, yes, I heard it; but my conviction is not the least shaken.”
“It is not?”
“No, Resident.”
“Well, for all that,” said van Gulpendam, airily, “I advise you to heave to.”
“To heave to? I don’t understand you,” said Verstork, though all the time he understood perfectly.