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which he had promised himself when he had finished his
appointment at St. Luke’s or, if they would not give him
anything there, at some other hospital.
‘All right. I’ll go.’
‘The only thing is, you must go this afternoon. Will that
suit you? If so, I’ll send a wire at once.’
Philip would have liked a few days to himself; but he had
seen the Athelnys the night before (he had gone at once to
take them his good news) and there was really no reason
why he should not start immediately. He had little luggage
to pack. Soon after seven that evening he got out of the sta-
tion at Farnley and took a cab to Doctor South’s. It was a
broad low stucco house, with a Virginia creeper growing
over it. He was shown into the consulting-room. An old
man was writing at a desk. He looked up as the maid ush-
ered Philip in. He did not get up, and he did not speak; he
merely stared at Philip. Philip was taken aback.
‘I think you’re expecting me,’ he said. ‘The secretary of St.
Luke’s wired to you this morning.’
‘I kept dinner back for half an hour. D’you want to
wash?’
‘I do,’ said Philip.
Doctor South amused him by his odd manner. He got
up now, and Philip saw that he was a man of middle height,
thin, with white hair cut very short and a long mouth closed
so tightly that he seemed to have no lips at all; he was clean-
shaven but for small white whiskers, and they increased the
squareness of face which his firm jaw gave him. He wore a
brown tweed suit and a white stock. His clothes hung loose-

Of Human Bondage