"Does that hurt you, sir ?" said I in a soothing and affectionate tone of voice.

"Like the devil," growled the patient.

"And here ?" said I.

"Oh! oh! I can't bear it any longer." "Oh! I perceive," said I, "the thing is just as I expected." Here I raised my eyebrows, and looked indescribably wise at my confreres.
"No aneurism, doctor," said the tall one.
"Certainly not." "Maybe," said the short man, "maybe it's a stay-at-home-with-us tumour after all;" so at least he appeared to pronounce a confounded technical, which I afterwards learned was "steatomatous;" conceiving that my rosy friend was disposed to jeer at me, I gave him a terrific frown, and resumed, "this must not be touched." "So you won't operate upon it," said the patient.
"I would not take a thousand pounds and do so," I replied.

"Now if you please gentlemen," said I, making a step towards the door, as if to withdraw for consultation; upon which they accompanied me down stairs to the breakfast-room.