‘Sir,’ said he; ‘sir:’  and he could hardly get his lips open to give vent to the tumult of his heart.  Perhaps he was not wrong; for it may be that his lips were more eloquent than would have been his words.

‘What’s the matter?’ said Dr Thorne, opening his eyes wide, and addressing Lady Scatcherd over his head and across the hairs of the irritated man below him.  ’What on earth is the matter?  Is anything wrong with Sir Roger?’

‘Oh, laws, doctor!’ said her ladyship.  ’Oh, laws; I’m sure it ain’t my fault.  Here’s Dr Fillgrave, in a taking, and I’m quite ready to pay him—­quite.  If a man gets paid, what more can he want?’ And she again held out the five-pound note over Dr Fillgrave’s head.

What more, indeed, Lady Scatcherd, can any of us want, if only we could keep our tempers and feelings a little in abeyance?  Dr Fillgrave, however, could not so keep his; and, therefore, he did want something more, though at the present moment he could hardly have said what.

Lady Scatcherd’s courage was somewhat resuscitated by the presence of her ancient trusty ally; and, moreover, she began to conceive that the little man before her was unreasonable beyond all conscience with his anger, seeing that that for which he was ready to work had been offered him without any work at all.

‘Madam,’ said he, again turning round at Lady Scatcherd, ’I was never before treated in such a way in any house in Barchester—­never—­never.’

‘Good heavens, Dr Fillgrave!’ said he of Greshamsbury, ’what is the matter?’

‘I’ll let you know what is the matter, sir,’ said he, turning round again as quickly as before.  ’I’ll let you know what is the matter.  I’ll publish this, sir, to the medical world;’ and as he shrieked out the words of the threat, he stood on tiptoes and brandished his eye-glasses up almost into his enemy’s face.

‘Don’t be angry with Dr Thorne,’ said Lady Scatcherd.  ’Any ways, you needn’t be angry with him.  If you must be angry with anybody—­’

‘I shall be angry with him, madam,’ ejaculated Dr Fillgrave, making another sudden demi-pirouette.  ’I am angry with him—­or, rather, I despise him;’ and completing the circle, Dr Fillgrave again brought himself round in full front of his foe.

Dr Thorne raised his eyebrows and looked inquiringly at Lady Scatcherd; but there was a quiet sarcastic motion round his mouth which by no means had the effect of throwing oil on the troubled waters.

’I’ll publish the whole of this transaction to the medical world, Dr Thorne—­the whole of it; and if that has not the effect of rescuing the people of Greshamsbury out of your hands, then—­then—­then, I don’t know what will.  Is my carriage—­that is, the post-chaise there?’ and Dr Fillgrave, speaking very loudly, turned majestically to one of the servants.

‘What have I done to you, Dr Fillgrave,’ said Dr Thorne, now absolutely laughing, ’that you should determined to take the bread out of my mouth?  I am not interfering with your patient.  I have come here simply with reference to money matters appertaining to Sir Roger.’