Page 880 - of-human-bondage-

man now but two things, pleasure in his food and a grasp-
ing desire for money. It was a hideous old age.
In the afternoon Dr. Wigram came, and after the visit
Philip walked with him to the garden gate.
‘How d’you think he is?’ said Philip.
Dr. Wigram was more anxious not to do wrong than
to do right, and he never hazarded a definite opinion if he
could help it. He had practised at Blackstable for five-and-
thirty years. He had the reputation of being very safe, and
many of his patients thought it much better that a doctor
should be safe than clever. There was a new man at Black-
stable—he had been settled there for ten years, but they still
looked upon him as an interloper—and he was said to be
very clever; but he had not much practice among the better
people, because no one really knew anything about him.
‘Oh, he’s as well as can be expected,’ said Dr. Wigram in
answer to Philip’s inquiry.
‘Has he got anything seriously the matter with him?’
‘Well, Philip, your uncle is no longer a young man,’ said
the doctor with a cautious little smile, which suggested that
after all the Vicar of Blackstable was not an old man either.
‘He seems to think his heart’s in a bad way.’
‘I’m not satisfied with his heart,’ hazarded the doctor, ‘I
think he should be careful, very careful.’
On the tip of Philip’s tongue was the question: how much
longer can he live? He was afraid it would shock. In these
matters a periphrase was demanded by the decorum of life,
but, as he asked another question instead, it flashed through
him that the doctor must be accustomed to the impatience