Evening star., 1909-09-03
XXI-Continued.

"You can accept what you please" he
said. a trif1e tartly, stung by Traffords $
easy assumption that he had the right
to ask the question he had. ''but the fact
is that all that / have done since / left
here last evening concerns a patient and
is covered by the fee I have received from
him.
Trafford weighed the carefully framed
conclusion of the answer, as he was
bound to do and as the doctor had ex-
pected him to do, ignoring the tart in
PRODUCTION. The very caution it exhibited
conveyed the impression of doubt in the
mind of the speaker.
"Tndouhtedly'' said Trafford at last.
But does it all concern the patient as a
patient, and not. in part at least. as
possible criminal?'
Il was called 10 treat the patient In
my opinion nothing that was revealed to
me was unnecessary 10 my understand
ing of the case and my proper treatment
Of it,
Again Trafford paused and weighed the
answer.
The privilege YOU are evoking" he
said, lis u tremendous one and necessa-
rity elastic. Its ultimate bounds have got
10 rest largely in the conscience of the
individual who eyokes it. for its violation
is implied in a close examination by
others. Am l to accept it that YOU are
giving me the conscientious judgment OF
man who appreciates the responsibility
of the privilege YOU evoke?'
There was something terrible to Grim
bleshaw in the skill! with which the ques-
ton was framed. His thought had been
that he would have to deal with Trafforti
only. This question forced him to deal
with himself. II was a question which
no man could answer falsely and ever
again feel himself quite man.
".hl things considered" he said. finally,
II mink I may answer yes.
| But you have doubt? demanded
| Trafford who did not seem to find what
| he wanted in the answer.
GrimbeShaw watching Trafford
! with the keen interest of a trained OBJ
| server who can appreciate the skillful
| use of weapons even when they are dI-
rec;ed against himself. 1t struck him
| now that the other had made a mistake
| in not leaving him to himself To deal
/ q lone with his answer. If there was a
! false note in it he was more concerned to
/ lind it than the other could be. while this
driving it home recklessy sure 10
work for nothing save to prejudice him
/ in his own position Against this dam
ger Grimbleshaw tried to guard himself
\ as he answered:
IF ] have it is the best possible proof
/ that my answer is conscientious and
/ final"
/ IraUOFu DIT MS iip WITH FeNaliOH. lie
/ realized that he had ventured queS-
! tionable ground and lost in the first
/ throw.
| II assume your patient has a name. =
he said. rather for the purpose of break
| ing the strain than because that was the
wisest thing to say at this point.
"Yes. naturally" answered Grimble-
shaw There was no question in his
mind that Trafford knew where he had
been and whom ne had seen. 1t seemed
| a refinement of car. ...on TO make an at
tempted secret of it. At the same time
| lie knew the danger of waving privilege
| in the slightest degree and he knew, too,
the dangerous cunning of the man with
whom he, was dealing. He went on eau
| tionsly:
| 1t las been held that privilege extends
| so Tar as TO warrant a physician in with