_poison_ people in Italy, but it was in
the fifteenth century, and all the Borgias were gone! What could it
mean? The very waiters seemed to watch the man in black, and signals
of intelligence seemed to pass between them as they went their rounds
with the dishes. After thus meeting the eye of the unknown at
intervals for more than an hour, when the table was beginning to
clear, I rose, and limped out of the room as well as my complaints
would let me, and was sauntering a few steps from the door, when judge
of my terror on turning round, to find him of the black coat at my
elbow! "In pain, sir, I see." All my alarm ceased in a moment. It was
pure philanthropy which had made me an object of so much interest.
"Yes, sir, in great pain." "_You should take care of yourself, sir._
Rheumatic, are you not?" "Very rheumatic." "Well, sir, you have come
to the best place in the world for rheumatism. The air, the water, and
proper treatment, will soon set you up." "Your report is encouraging;
but I have suffered too long to hope much." "Well, at any rate, sir,
let us not talk over your interesting case in this heat. Come and put
your feet up on a chair in my rooms, and we will drink a glass of
soda-water to your better health." What a kind-hearted man I had met
with, and how kind Providence is to us! I now ventured to ask him his
name. "My name is Dr ----; and now, my dear friend, just tell me your
whole case from the very beginning down to now, for I am really
interested in you." I told my case. "Put out your tongue." "Brown," we
thought we heard him say. "Wrist--pulse not amiss--but you _require
care, sir! you require care!_ Clear case for the medicine I gave so
successfully last week." Finding myself thus fallen into professional
hands _without intending it_, I said something introductory to the
mention of a fee. "True, I was _forgetting_ that; when one takes a
proper interest in one's case, and hopes to do good, fees are the last
thing one thinks of--two scudi if you please." So I found myself
immediately booked in a small memorandum-book, and constituted his
patient. Now came civil promises to introduce me, &c. &c. &c., and I
took my leave delighted. It is almost needless to say, that in a very
short time I found that my acquaintance had, like so many more,
commenced physician on the soil of Italy. What will become of London
if all her apothecaries desert her at this rate? For ourselves,
reflecting on the accomplishments of many