Doctor
Keene
frowned
.
"
Why
,
yes
,
I
suppose
so
--
after
a
fashion
.
"
Again
he
threw
a
curious
glance
at
Mr.
Button
.
"
Is
my
wife
all
right
?
"
"
Yes
.
"
"
Is
it
a
boy
or
a
girl
?
"
"
Here
now
!
"
cried
Doctor
Keene
in
a
perfect
passion
of
irritation
,
"
I
'll
ask
you
to
go
and
see
for
yourself
.
Outrageous
!
"
He
snapped
the
last
word
out
in
almost
one
syllable
,
then
he
turned
away
muttering
:
"
Do
you
imagine
a
case
like
this
will
help
my
professional
reputation
?
One
more
would
ruin
me
--
ruin
anybody
.
"
"
What
's
the
matter
?
"
demanded
Mr.
Button
appalled
.
"
Triplets
?
"
"
No
,
not
triplets
!
"
answered
the
doctor
cuttingly
.
"
What
's
more
,
you
can
go
and
see
for
yourself
.
And
get
another
doctor
.
I
brought
you
into
the
world
,
young
man
,
and
I
've
been
physician
to
your
family
for
forty
years
,
but
I
'm
through
with
you
!
I
do
n't
want
to
see
you
or
any
of
your
relatives
ever
again
!
Good-bye
!
"
Then
he
turned
sharply
,
and
without
another
word
climbed
into
his
phaeton
,
which
was
waiting
at
the
curbstone
,
and
drove
severely
away
.
Mr.
Button
stood
there
upon
the
sidewalk
,
stupefied
and
trembling
from
head
to
foot
.
What
horrible
mishap
had
occurred
?
He
had
suddenly
lost
all
desire
to
go
into
the
Maryland
Private
Hospital
for
Ladies
and
Gentlemen
--
it
was
with
the
greatest
difficulty
that
,
a
moment
later
,
he
forced
himself
to
mount
the
steps
and
enter
the
front
door
.
A
nurse
was
sitting
behind
a
desk
in
the
opaque
gloom
of
the
hall
.
Swallowing
his
shame
,
Mr.
Button
approached
her
.
