20 APRIL 



"He is much better, your honour." 



" Ah, then he took the physic ? " 



" No, your highness, the bazaar coolie took the 

 physic, by mistake." 



" The bazaar coolie ! " I exclaimed in the 

 utmost astonishment. "Whatever for?" 



"The dish-washer said, 'Work is, therefore 

 cannot go myself ; bazaar coolie goes errands ; he 

 may fetch for me the physic.' So bazaar coolie took 

 letter. Shop master prepared physic, then told 

 bazaar coolie to drink it. Coolie said, ' Not for me 

 is the medicine, but for another man. I take it to 

 him.' 'Not so,' said the shop master, 'the 

 mistress has written, give to bearer ; and she means 

 you must drink it here.' Many times coolie said 

 he was not the man, but they would not listen, and 

 they made him drink it." 



I went into convulsions of laughter ; so much 

 so, that the decorous grey-beard himself had to 

 retire into the next room and also smile behind the 

 door. At last I said : 



" So the coolie brought back no physic in his 

 hand ? Still he fulfilled his errand ; he brought it 

 safely enough." 



