virtuous Matilda of his later days.
"Well, now," said he, preparing to take his leave, "is there
anything further you want to know about your plans, for I suppose I
shall scarcely see you again before you leave if you get off tomorrow
morning as you intend. One thing--of course you've been vaccinated?"
The Hon. Bovyne muttered, "bah!" Clarges began putting the
photographs away, all but Lady Violet.
"Then you haven't been done, eh?" said Simpson, interrogatively.
"I would if I were you. You can't tell where you're going or whom
you'll meet. Why, you can 'do' yourself if you object to a medical
man fussing around."
"Can you?" said Clarges.
"I don't object," said Bovey, loftily; "but I must say I think it is
making a ridiculous and most unnecessary fuss about the matter. Why,
there are half a dozen diseases as virulent as the small-pox
stalking about in every large town, and we don't take those! Why
should we take the small-pox when we don't take the cholera, or the--
the--"
"Yes," observed Simpson, in his quiet manner, "I thought you would
stick for want of details. The fact is, that you can inoculate for
small-pox, and you can't as yet, for cholera or leprosy, and so wise
people accept the fact, the revelation if you will, and get
vaccinated. However, as far as your immediate surroundings go,
you're safe enough. Old Mrs. Ross will do all she can for you, and
it isn't far, only twenty two miles from town after all. You'll be
walking in in a day or two for another tent or a barrel of whiskey.
Nothing like whiskey, Canadian whiskey, out in camp on cold nights."
Simpson got up.
"I wonder," said he, suddenly, "how you escaped being done on the
train. You came up from Quebec _via_ St. Martin's Junction, didn't you?"
"Oh! your importunate Inspector did make an effort on my behalf, but
I was firm. Nearly had a lodging in the Police Station though, but I
told him who we were and swore to having marks the size of
flat-irons on both arms, so he let me go."
"And you," said Simpson, turning to Clarges. "Me! oh! I shall be done.
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