Round the fountain.

Date:: 1909

Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Round the fountain. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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and I believe I shall hear it so long as this clay endures. I cast a veil over the rest of the afternoon. Shattered and broken I staggered round the wards displaying abysmal ignorance about every one of my patients. It is not too much to say that for the next month we never met without having a row. Looking back at those days, I can well imagine that we must have caused no little amusement to the onlookers, and our encounters, no doubt, resembled contests between a very active bantam and a powerful good-natured heavy-weight. The former’s activity enabled him to get in a light smack occasionally ; one whack from his opponent and he took the floor for the rest of the afternoon. But gradually we grew towards one another. There was something about my frank assertiveness which evidently pleased him. He would call me “ the scho- lard,” and pay me ostentatious deference as a final appeal on most matters of lore. “ Category ” was a word he once used. “ Do they say ‘ cat'egory' or ‘ cat-e'-gory ’ at Cambridge, Mr. Chesterfield ” ? he asked. I answered instantly that I could not assume the responsibility of expressing the opinion of an entire University, but that my personal predilections were in favour of “ cat'egory.” And, again, in the theatre one day, he asked me some elementary anatomical question, which I answered. “ You’re not sure,” he challenged, “ your voice wobbled.” “ If it wobbled, sir,” I retorted, ” it shook, not with uncertainty, but with the emotion of righteous indigna- tion at being asked so simple a question.” If he grew to like me, I, on my side, grew to worship