Page:Austen Sanditon and other miscellanea.djvu/65

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SANDITON
41

Object which had taken him to Willingden. ‘Lordl my dear Sir,’ she cried, ‘how could you think of such a thing? I am very sorry you met with your accident, but upon my word you deserved it. Going after a Doctor! Why, what should we do with a Doctor here? It would be only encouraging our Servants and the Poor to fancy themselves ill, if there was a Doctor at hand. Oh! pray, let us have none of the Tribe at Sanditon. We go on very well as we are. There is the Sea and the Downs and my Milch-asses, and I have told Mrs Whitby that if any body enquires for a Chamber-House, they may be supplied at a fair rate (poor Mr. Hollis’s Chamber-House, as good as new), and what can People want for more? Here have I lived 70 good years in the world and never took Physic above twice, and never saw the face of a Doctor in all my Life, on my own account. And I verily believe if my poor dear Sir Harry had never seen one neither, he would have been alive now. Ten fees, one after another, did the Man take who sent him out of the World. I beseech you, Mr. Parker, no Doctors here.’ The Tea things were brought in. ‘Oh! my dear Mrs. Parker, you should not indeed. Why would you do so? I was just upon the point of wishing you good Evening. But since you are so very neighbourly, I believe Miss Clara and I must stay.’


CHAPTER VII

The popularity of the Parkers brought them some visitors the very next morning; amongst them, Sir Edward Denham and his Sister, who having been at Sanditon House, drove on to pay their Compliments; and the duty of Letter-writing being accomplished, Charlotte was settled with Mrs. Parker in the Drawing-room in time to see them all. The Denhams were