amongtheAses,andthemajorityoftheconspicuousfailuresamongtheIfs。Idon\'tknowbutthiswouldbeasgoodatestasthatofGideon,——lappingthewaterortakingitupinthehand。Ihaveapoeticalfriendwhoseconversationisstarredasthickwithifsasaboiledhamiswithcloves。Butanotherfriendofmine,abusinessman,whomItrustinmakingmyinvestments,wouldnotletmemeddlewithacertainstockwhichIfancied,because,ashesaid,\"therearetoomanyifsinit。Asitlooksnow,Iwouldn\'ttouchit。\"
Inoticed,theotherevening,thatsomeprivateconversationwasgoingonbetweentheCounsellorandthetwoAnnexes。Therewasamischievouslookaboutthelittlegroup,andIthoughttheywerehatchingsomeplotamongthem。IdidnothearwhattheEnglishAnnexsaid,buttheAmericangirl\'svoicewassharper,andIoverheardwhatsoundedtomelike,\"ItistimetostirupthatyoungDoctor。\"TheCounsellorlookedveryknowing,andsaidthathewouldfindachancebeforelong。Iwasratheramusedtoseehowreadilyheenteredintotheprojectoftheyoungpeople。Thefactis,theCounsellorisyoungforhistimeoflife;forhealreadybetrayssomesignsofthechangereferredtointhatoncefamiliarstreetsong,whichmyfriend,thegreatAmericansurgeon,inquiredforatthemusic—shopsunderthetitle,ashegotitfromtheItalianminstrel,\"Silvatredimondigoo。\"
Isaw,soonafterthis,thattheCounsellorwaswatchinghischanceto\"stiruptheyoungDoctor。\"
Itdoesnotfollow,becauseouryoungDoctor\'sbaldspotisslowerincomingthanhecouldhavewished,thathehasnothadtimetoformmanysoundconclusionsinthecallingtowhichhehasdevotedhimselfVesalius,thefatherofmoderndescriptiveanatomy,publishedhisgreatworkonthatsubjectbeforehewasthirty。Bichat,thegreatanatomistandphysiologist,whodiednearthebeginningofthiscentury,publishedhistreatise,whichmadearevolutioninanatomyandpathology,ataboutthesameage;dyingsoonafterhehadreachedtheageofthirty。So,possiblytheCounsellormayfindthathehas\"stirredup\"ayoungmanwho,cantakecareofhisownhead,incaseofaggressivemovementsinitsdirection。
\"Well,Doctor,\"theCounsellorbegan,\"howarestocks—inthemeaslesmarketaboutthesetimes？Anycornerinbronchitis？Anysyndicateinthevaccinationbusiness？\"Allthisplayfully。