It was in no sense confessional; it was a state of mind in the patient the doctor had already anticipated.

Yet she held her tongue.
As for the doctor, he found a pleasure in this service that would have puzzled him had he paused to analyse it.

There was scant social life on the Sha-mien aside from masculine foregatherings, little that interested him.

He took his social pleasures once a year in Hong-Kong, after Easter.

He saw, without any particular regret, that this year he would have to forego the junket; but there would be ample compensation in the study of these queer youngsters.