Crawford, saw my agony, and spared not a
single carouse. I must do him justice, forsooth! If I had done justice
to him and to the world, I had thrown him out of window and cut short
a career which, if he grew up as he has begun, will prove a source of
misery to all Scotland, but especially to Tayside. Take heed as thou
undoest the ligatures, chirurgeon, the touch of a fly's wing on that raw
glowing stump were like a dagger to me."

"Fear not, my noble patron," said the leech, with a chuckling laugh
of enjoyment, which he vainly endeavoured to disguise under a tone of
affected sensibility. "We will apply some fresh balsam, and--he, he,
he!--relieve your knightly honour of the irritation which you sustain so
firmly."

"Firmly, man!" said Ramorny, grinning with pain; "I sustain it as I
would the scorching flames of purgatory. The bone seems made of red hot
iron; thy greasy ointment will hiss as it drops upon the wound. And yet
it is December's ice, compared to the fever fit of my mind!"

"We will first use our emollients upon the body, my noble patron," said
Dwining; "and then, with your knighthood's permission; your servant will
try his art on the troubled mind; though I fain hope even the mental
pain also may in some degree depend on the irritation of the wound, and
that, abated as I trust the corporeal pangs will soon be, perhaps the
stormy feelings of the mind may subside of themselves."

"Henbane Dwining," said the patient, as he felt the pain of his wound
assuaged, "thou art a precious and invaluable leech, but some things
are beyond thy power. Thou canst stupify my bodily cause of this raging
agony, but thou canst not teach me to bear the score of the boy whom I
have brought up--whom I loved, Dwining--for I did love him--dearly love
him! The worst of my ill deeds have been to flatter his vices; and he
grudged me a word of his mouth, when a word would have allayed this
cumber! He smiled, too--I saw him smile--when yon paltry provost,
the companion and patron of wretched burghers, defied me, whom this
heartless prince knew to be unable to bear arms. Ere I forget or forgive
it, thou thyself shalt preach up the pardoning of injuries! And then
the care for tomorrow! Think'st thou, Henbane Dwining, that, in very
reality, the Wounds of the slaughtered corpse will gape and shed tears
of fresh blood at the murderer's approach?"

"I cannot tell, my lord, save by report," said Dwining, "which avouches
the fact."

"The b