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           "

           "Why,whatdoyouwantadoctorfor?"inquiredtheRat,comingcloserandexamininghim.Hecertainlylayverystillandflat,andhisvoicewasweakerandhismannermuchchanged.

           "Surelyyouhavenoticedoflate—"murmuredToad."But,no—whyshouldyou?Noticingthingsisonlyatrouble.To-morrow,indeed,youmaybesayingtoyourself,‘O,ifonlyIhadnoticedsooner!IfonlyIhaddonesomething!’Butno;it’satrouble.Nevermind—forgetthatIasked."

           "Lookhere,oldman,"saidtheRat,beginningtogetratheralarmed,"ofcourseI’llfetchadoctortoyou,ifyoureallythinkyouwanthim.Butyoucanhardlybebadenoughforthatyet.Let’stalkaboutsomethingelse."

           "Ifear,dearfriend,"saidToad,withasadsmile,"that‘talk’candolittleinacaselikethis—ordoctorseither,forthatmatter;still,onemustgraspattheslighteststraw.And,bytheway—whileyouareaboutit—Ihatetogiveyouadditionaltrouble,butIhappentorememberthatyouwillpassthedoor—wouldyoumindatthesametimeaskingthelawyertostepup?Itwouldbeaconveniencetome,andtherearemoments—perhapsIshouldsaythereisamoment—whenonemustfacedisagreeabletasks,atwhatevercosttoexhaustednature!"

           "Alawyer!O,hemustbereallybad!"theaffrightedRatsaidtohimself,ashehurriedfromtheroom,notforgetting,however,tolockthedoorcarefullybehindhim.