
A sharp‑tongued comedy of manners unfolds in a hospital room where a young doctor and his affluent, yet ailing, patient spar over the price of a wish. Their banter crackles with irony—she, a woman of means, demands years of life while he, bound by professional ethics and fiscal reality, can offer only hollow promises and clever retorts. The dialogue dances between sarcasm and sincerity, exposing the absurdities of wealth, mortality, and the human craving for control.
Set against a backdrop of early‑twentieth‑century sensibilities, the story blends wit with a subtle critique of society’s obsession with material security. As the two protagonists volley questions about desire, duty, and the value of time, listeners are drawn into a lively intellectual duel that feels both timeless and freshly relevant. The opening promises a clever, thought‑provoking tale that balances humor with a poignant look at what we truly wish for when faced with life’s limits.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (156K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Elaine Laizure
Release date
2015-06-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1872–1958
A prolific American novelist, short-story writer, and poet, she blended wit, romance, and a touch of fantasy in stories that once reached a wide popular audience. Best known today for novels like Molly Make-Believe, she brought a lively, imaginative voice to early 20th-century fiction.
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