He also thought that the doctor must have mixed all those medicines from rules in those great books, and a sudden feverish desire to look into them seized him.

However, neither his pride nor his timidity would have allowed him to touch one of those books, even if he had not expected the doctor to enter every moment.
He waited quite a little time, however.

He could hear the far-off tinkle of silver and clink of china, and knew the family were at dinner.

"Won't leave his dinner for me," thought Jerome, with an unrighteous bitterness of humility, recognizing the fact that he could not expect him to.

"Might have planted an hour longer." Then came a clang of the knocker, and this time the girl ushered into the study a clamping, red-faced man in a shabby coat.