160 A SEVERE INTERROGATOR. CHAP, ix 



time prepared a bag of forgetfulness, into which he 

 put all the disagreeable things that were said to him ; 

 and once there, he remembered them no more. Ed- 

 ward believed that his visitor belonged to the medical 

 profession, and that he was connected with a neigh- 

 bouring dispensary.* 



One day the visitor arrived, and without looking 

 at the specimens, he went directly up to Edward and 

 asked, "Well, how are you getting on?" "Very 

 poorly/' was the answer. "And no wonder!" said 

 the visitor. " How ?" " How !" he almost shouted, 

 "because the people here don't believe in such a 

 thing. I am sure of it from what I know and have 

 heard myself." 



"But if they would only come !" 



" Come ? that's the very thing. It seems they'll 

 not come. And although they did, what satisfactory 

 evidence is there that what they see is the result of 

 your own unaided and individual labour? You are 

 quite a stranger here. You should have had some 

 persons of high standing in the city to take you 

 under their patronage : say the professors of both 

 colleges, or the provost and town-council. Oh ! you 

 needn't shake your head and look at the floor. It 

 would have been much better." 



" I never considered myself in a position," said 

 Edward, " to ask such a favour." 



* It was afterwards found that the visitor was Dr. Cadenhead, 

 one of the principal physicians and oculists of the city. 



