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LXXXI

t the beginning of the winter session Philip became
Aan out-patients’ clerk. There were three assistant-phy-
sicians who took out-patients, two days a week each, and
Philip put his name down for Dr. Tyrell. He was popular
with the students, and there was some competition to be
his clerk. Dr. Tyrell was a tall, thin man of thirty-five, with
a very small head, red hair cut short, and prominent blue
eyes: his face was bright scarlet. He talked well in a pleasant
voice, was fond of a little joke, and treated the world lightly.
He was a successful man, with a large consulting practice
and a knighthood in prospect. From commerce with stu-
dents and poor people he had the patronising air, and from
dealing always with the sick he had the healthy man’s jo-
vial condescension, which some consultants achieve as
the professional manner. He made the patient feel like a
boy confronted by a jolly schoolmaster; his illness was an
absurd piece of naughtiness which amused rather than ir-
ritated.
The student was supposed to attend in the out-patients’
room every day, see cases, and pick up what information he
could; but on the days on which he clerked his duties were
a little more definite. At that time the out-patients’ depart-
ment at St. Luke’s consisted of three rooms, leading into one
another, and a large, dark waiting-room with massive pil-

Of Human Bondage