The lawyer was sitting up in bed, wearing his dressing-gown and occasionally drinking hot water from a glass.

He was a thin, small man, middle-aged, with a very round head and a small pointed beard.
"How do you do, Mr.Vandover ?" he said, very pleasantly as Vandover passed by the servant holding open the door and came in.
"How do you do, Mr.Field ?" answered Vandover, shaking his hand.

"Well, I'm sorry to see you like this." "Yes," answered the lawyer, "I'm--I have trouble with my digestion sometimes, more annoying than dangerous, I suppose.

Take a chair, won't you?
You can find a place for your hat and coat right on the table there.

Well," he added, settling back on the pillows and looking at Vandover pleasantly, "I think you've grown thinner since the last time I saw you, haven't you ?" "Yes," answered Vandover grimly, "I guess I have." "Yes, yes, I suppose so, of course," responded the lawyer with a vague air of apology and sympathy.