Now it so happened that in the same street there lived another medical man, almost a prototype of Doctor Plausible, only not quite so well off in the world.  His name was Doctor Feasible.  His practice was not extensive, and he was encumbered with a wife and large family.  He also very naturally wished to extend his practice and his reputation; and, after many fruitless attempts, he at last hit upon a scheme which he thought promised to be successful.

“My dear,” said he, one morning to his wife, “I am thinking of getting up a conversazione.”

“A conversazione, my love!—­why, is not that a very expensive affair?”

“Why, not very.  But if it brings me practice, it will be money well laid out.”

“Yes, my love, if it does, and if we had the money to lay out.”

“Something must be done.  I have hardly a patient left.  I have an idea that it will succeed.  Go, my dear, and make up this prescription, and let the boy take it to Mrs Bluestone’s.  I wish I had a couple of dozen patients like her.  I write her prescription, take my fee, and then, that I may be sure that it is properly made up, I volunteer to take it to the chemist’s myself.”

“Pray, what is the complaint of Mrs Bluestone, my love?”

“Nothing; she over-eats herself—­that’s all.  Abernethy would cure her in twenty-four hours.”

“Well, but, my love, about this conversazione?”

“Go and make up the prescription, my dear, and we’ll talk the matter over afterwards.”

They did so.  A list of the people they were acquainted with was drawn out, the expense calculated, and the affair settled.

The first point to be considered was the size of the cards.

“These, my love,” said Mrs Feasible, who came in from a long walk, with her bonnet still on, “these are three shillings and sixpence a hundred; and these, which are a size larger, are four-and-sixpence.  Which do you think we ought to have?”

“Why, really, my dear, when one sends out so many, I do not see why we should incur unnecessary expense.  The three-and-sixpenny ones are quite large enough.”

“And the engraving will be fourteen shillings.”

“Well, that will only be a first expense. Conversazione in old English, of course.”

“And here, my love, are the ribbons for the maids’ caps and sashes; I bought them at Waterloo House, very cheap, and a very pretty candle-light colour.”

“Did you speak to them about their gowns?”

“Yes, my love; Sally and Peggy have each a white gown, Betty I can lend one of my own.”