But the young 'squire said this
practitioner was an ignorantaccio, that there was a fracture in
the cranium, and that there was a necessity for having him
trepanned without loss of time. His mother, espousing this
opinion, had sent an express to York for a surgeon to perform the
operation, and he was already come with his 'prentice and
instruments. Having examined the patient's head, he began to
prepare his dressings; though Grieve still retained his first
opinion that there was no fracture, and was the more confirmed in
it as the 'squire had passed the night in profound sleep,
uninterrupted by any catching or convulsion. The York surgeon
said he could not tell whether there was a fracture, until he
should take off the scalp; but, at any rate, the operation might
be of service in giving vent to any blood that might be
extravasated, either above or below the dura mater. The lady and
her son were clear for trying the experiment; and Grieve was
dismissed with some marks of contempt, which, perhaps, he owed to
the plainness of his appearance. He seemed to be about the middle
age, wore his own black hair without any sort of dressing; by his
garb, one would have taken him for a quaker, but he had none of
the stiffness of that sect, on the contrary he was very
submissive, respectful, and remarkably taciturn.
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