Mrs.
Kingston exclaimed at this that Mr. Yolland should have waited for
the doctor to venture on such an operation, but both Dermot and
Harold assured her that he could not have waited, and also that it
could not have been more skilfully done, both of which assurances she
must have heard with doubts as to the competence of the judges, and
she much regretted that she could not promise a visit from her doctor
that evening, as he was likely to be detained all night.
Dermot came downstairs with us, and we found Mr. Yolland waiting at
the door to extract a final promise that Harold would go to bed at
once on coming home. It seemed that he had laughed at the
recommendation, so that the young surgeon felt bound to enforce it
before all of us, adding that it was a kind of hurt that no one could
safely neglect. There was something in his frank, brusque manner
that pleased Harold, and he promised with half a smile, thanking the
doctor hastily as he did so, while Dermot Tracy whispered to me,
"Good luck getting him; twice as ready as the old one;" and then
vehemently shaking all our hands, to make up for Harold's not being
fit to touch, he promised to come and see him on the morrow. The
moment we were all in the carriage--Eustace still too much shaken to
drive home--his first question was, who _that_ was?
"Mr. Tracy," I answered; and Eustace added, "I thought you called him
Dermont?"
"Dermot--Dermot Tracy.
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