“It’s not so bad as that, don’t you see, for he breathes,” observed the surgeon.
“But his dress is all over blood; therefore he must have received some dangerous wounds,” added Oriel. “Here; I’ll undo his vest; and then we can see the extent of the injury he has received.”
“Oh, no!” said the doctor, unceremoniously pushing him away.
“Doctor Tourniquet, you behave very strangely, I think,” said the other, seemingly much offended.
“I beg pardon, Master Porphyry,” responded the doctor, apparently with much confusion; “but it would be very dangerous to meddle with the wounds now, don’t you see.”
“They surely ought to be dressed without loss of time,” remarked the young merchant.
“The patient has received a severe shock; and the state of the atmosphere, and—and not having with me things necessary to dress the wound, and—and many other things, make it advisable that the patient should be put to bed before his hurts are examined,” said the doctor, attempting to hide his perplexity as well as he could.
“I must say, I think it very strange,” observed Oriel, not being able to account for the embarrassment under which the doctor was evidently labouring.
“No harm done, I hope?” inquired Sir Curry, as he approached upon his elephant. “I should be sorry to have another Lord Muligatawny affair.”