BUCK 37 



Accordiugly, I deputed my brother whip, who passed 

 through Stony Stratford, to procure me one from the 

 steward or gamekeeper of the Duke of Grafton, the 

 hereditary rano-er of that roval domain. In due time it 

 arrived ; and the man, knowing for whom I had bespoke 

 it, demanded immediate payment of the cost — viz., 

 7/. 10.5. With this I complied, though a little surprised 

 at his peremptory manner, and directed the horsekeeper 

 to take the hamper down to the Doctor's house. 



Some few weeks after this, during which time I con- 

 tinued my friendship with the Doctor, on my arrival 

 with the coach at Redbourn in the moruing, I observed 

 rather an unusual number of the inhabitants in the road 

 Of)posite the inn where I pulled up, apparently con- 

 versing uj^on some recent occurrence that very much 

 interested them. On my throwing down the reins, 

 getting oif the box, and making my way through the 

 crowd, one of them, who was acquainted with the 

 Doctor as well as myself, held out his hand, and, with 

 particular emphasis, said, '" How are ye, my hearty 

 buck ? " which caused an unwilling smile upon some of 

 their gloomy countenances. It did not require much 

 further explanation to enlighten me as to the subject of 

 their discourse ; which was, the Doctor had suddenly 

 taken flight, leaving this little community to mourn the 

 loss of one who had come among them to heal their 

 infirmities ; and in return to partake of their kind dona- 

 tions of the three great necessaries of life — shelter, food, 

 and raiment. 



Thus did I lose sight, for a time, of this singular 

 character, who was himself a compoimd of intellectual 



