We must sit quiet." Mary was listening attentively, and nodded her agreement to this pronouncement.
"We must,"-- proceeded Mr.Bunce, laboriously--"sit quiet.

We may get up every day now,--a little earlier each time, remaining up a little later each time,--but we must sit quiet." Again Mary nodded gravely.

Helmsley looked quickly from one to the other.

A close observer might have seen the glimmer of a smile through his fuzzy grey-white beard,--for his thoughts were very busy.

He saw in Bunce another subject whose disinterested honesty might be worth dissecting.
"But, doctor----" he began.
Mr.Bunce raised a hand.
"I'm not 'doctor,' my man!" he said--"have no degree--no qualification--no diploma--no anything whatever but just a little, a very little common sense,--yes! And I am simply Bunce,"-- and here a smile spread out all the furrows in his face and lit up his eyes; "Or, as the small boys call me, Dunce!" "That's all very well, but you're a doctor to me," said Helmsley--"And you've been as much as any other doctor could possibly be, I'm sure.