Hist? . . . br Through the corridor's echoes, br Louder and nearer br Comes a great shuffling of feet. br Quick, every one of you, br Strighten your quilts, and be decent! br Here's the Professor. br br In he comes first br With the bright look we know, br From the broad, white brows the kind eyes br Soothing yet nerving you. Here at his elbow, br White-capped, white-aproned, the Nurse, br Towel on arm and her inkstand br Fretful with quills. br Here in the ruck, anyhow, br Surging along, br Louts, duffers, exquisites, students, and prigs - br Whiskers and foreheads, scarf-pins and spectacles - br Hustles the Class! And they ring themselves br Round the first bed, where the Chief br (His dressers and clerks at attention), br Bends in inspection already. br br So shows the ring br Seen from behind round a conjurer br Doing his pitch in the street. br High shoulders, low shoulders, broad shoulders, narrow ones, br Round, square, and angular, serry and shove; br While from within a voice, br Gravely and weightily fluent, br Sounds; and then ceases; and suddenly br (Look at the stress of the shoulders!) br Out of a quiver of silence, br Over the hiss of the spray, br Comes a low cry, and the sound br Of breath quick intaken through teeth br Clenched in resolve. And the Master br Breaks from the crowd, and goes, br Wiping his hands, br To the next bed, with his pupils br Flocking and whispering behind him. br br Now one can see. br Case Number One br Sits (rather pale) with his bedclothes br Stripped up, and showing his foot br (Alas for God's Image!) br Swaddled in wet, white lint br Brilliantly hideous with red.