OF THE OLD WORLD. 47 



she sent that ugly black henchman, of the neuter 

 gender, with a mouthful of compliments, and what 

 I esteemed verra much better, a basket of fine 

 grafted mangoes as a present to your humble ser- 

 vant; and that dark ill-looking functionary in- 

 formed me, in that queer squeaky voice, peculiar to 

 the third sex, that his mistress was so much better 

 for the clever hackeem's (doctor's) medicine, that she 

 wanted to see him again personally some time during 

 the morning ; so ye see, boys, there is some good in 

 the profession after all, for oft-times it gives us the 

 means and ways of ingratiating ourselves wi' the 

 fair sex, e'en though we are not, maybe, just so 

 young and smooth-skinned as we might ha' been. 

 Ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! " 



" Well done, Bones," said I. " You have indeed 

 commenced the attack well, but the trail must be 

 closely followed if good is to come of it. Now 

 listen, and I will unfold a plan which must, if pro- 

 perly carried out, ensure success, or I resign all 

 pretensions to strategy in managing old women, 



" It is evident, from your account, that your 

 patient has acquired a liking for your resusticating 

 fluid, and has confidence in your ^tn-eopathical 

 genius. Taking this for granted, 'Go, thou, oh 

 learned man, at once, and prepare a good quart 

 bottle of the same stiff stuff, taking care to mix it 

 strong enough to make her wince again, and cause 

 her oculars to condense water in the same quantity 

 as Mrs Parasina's did, when her infuriated hus- 



