He certainly lay very still and flat, and his voice was weaker and his manner much changed.
Surely you have noticed of late--' murmured Toad.
But, no-why should you? Noticing things is only a trouble.
To-morrow, indeed, you may be saying to yourself, "O, if only I had noticed sooner! If only I had done something!" But no; it's a trouble.
Never mind-forget that I asked.'
'Look here, old man,' said the Rat, beginning to get rather alarmed, 'of course I'll fetch a doctor to you, if you really think you want him.
But you can hardly be bad enough for that yet.
Let's talk about something else.'
I fear, dear friend,' said Toad, with a sad smile, 'that "talk" can do little in a case like this-or doctors either, for that matter; still, one must grasp at the slightest straw.
And, by the way-while you are about it-I HATE to give you additional trouble, but I happen to remember that you will pass the door-would you mind at the same time asking the lawyer to step up? It would be a convenience to me, and there are moments-perhaps I should say there is A moment-when one must face disagreeable tasks, at whatever cost to exhausted nature!'