But the operation itself is so extremely dangerous; though Dr.Sebastian says he has called in the best surgeon in London for all such cases.

They are rare, he tells me--and Nielsen has performed on six, three of them successfully." We gave the girl the drug.

She took it, trembling, and went off at once, holding Hilda's hand, with a pale smile on her face, which persisted there somewhat weirdly all through the operation.

The work of removing the growth was long and ghastly, even for us who were well seasoned to such sights; but at the end Nielsen expressed himself as perfectly satisfied.

"A very neat piece of work!" Sebastian exclaimed, looking on.