me scene from the "Arabian Nights," when the four men came up to my
couch, and the chief attendant pointed out places on the carpet for the
various things to be placed, and then signed to the men to go, which
they did without word or look.

"I suppose I shall not be allowed to eat and drink what I like," I
thought, and I laughed to myself, for it was such a good sign even to
think about food at all. Directly after I found I was right, for my
attendant poured me out something warm which smelt savoury, and as he
raised me carefully and propped me up with cushions, I smiled again, for
I felt as if I were a baby about to be fed.

My amusement was quite justified, for I was as weak as an infant, and
was glad to let the calm, silent man supply my wants, holding me so that
I could drink what tasted like a strong preparation of chicken; after
which he gave me a very delicious and sweet preparation which I
recognised as cocoanut cream. Lastly, he gave me some curious-looking
_bonbons_, helping me to lie back first, so that I need not grow weary
while I partook of the preparations, which were nice, but possessed a
peculiar aromatic taste, which was new to me.

I had eaten three of these, and then half uneasily told myself that,
without doubt, the doctor ordered these preparations because they
contained the medicines he wished me to take.

I think so now; for in a short time a pleasant drowsiness stole over me,
and I fell asleep to awake with a start, as it seemed to me; but it must
have been only a slight one, for I could not have moved more than my
eyes, which were at once directed to the lamp on its stand, some ten or
a dozen feet from me, and I wondered why my breath came so short, and
grasped at once the fact that I had a heavy weight upon my chest.

It appeared simple enough. I had hardly taken anything of late, and my
meal on the previous night had been fairly liberal. Consequently, being
a sick or delicate man, I was suffering from the consequences--that of a
heavy weight at my chest.

I lay thinking that I had not taken much, and that it was very hard that
I should suffer so much inconvenience for so trivial a meal, when the
weight on my chest moved, and I felt something cool touch my neck.

I was still not clearly awake, and I did not feel any very great
surprise at this; for during what must have been my delirium, I had in
imagination had stranger adventures than this, and consequently I lay
perfectly still,