of the potion. The intervening time was filled in by the astute wizard
journeying to a neighbouring town and procuring from a chemist a
sleeping draught, which he paid for out of Mrs. Busker's sovereign. He
turned up at Laburnum Cottage at the stipulated hour, handed over the
draught (having previously washed off the chemist's label), received his
second sovereign, and departed.

Mrs. Rusker, with the fateful bottle in the bosom of her dress, betook
herself again to Mountain Farm. Her unfeigned interest in the patient,
and the intimacy she had so long enjoyed with the whole family, made the
house almost as free to her as was her own, and when she took possession
of Julia in the capacity of nurse she was made welcome, and the poor
girl's other attendants hoped much from her ministration. Julia was
undoubtedly very ill, so ill that even Samson Mountain forbore to
force her to descend to the parlour in which Mr. Tom Raybould nervously
awaited her coming, and where, on Samson's return from his daughter's
chamber, the pair sat and drank their beer together in miserable
silence, broken by spasmodic attempts at conversation regarding crops
and politics. The doctor had been called in, and, knowing nothing of the
grief which was the poor girl's only ailment, had been too puzzled by
the symptoms of her malady to be of any great service. She was feverish,
excited, with a furred tongue and a hot skin. He had prescribed a mild
tonic and departed. Mrs. Jenny, intent on the execution of her plan,
gained solitary charge of her patient by telling Mrs. Mountain that her
attendance on her daughter had already told upon her, and advising a few
hours' rest.

'I don't feel very well,' Mrs. Mountain confessed. 'Not a wink o' sleep
have I had iver since Samson came home last night. Nor him nayther, for
the matter o' that, though he tried to desave me by snorin', whinever
I spoke to him; an' as for any sympathy--well, you know him aforetime,
Jenny--I might as well talk to that theer poker.'

Then Jenny was fluent in condolence, and at last got the old lady out of
the room.

'When did you take your medicine last, my dear?' she asked the patient
'Ain't it time as you had another drop?'

'It doesn't do me any good,' said the patient fretfully. She knew better
herself what was wrong with her than anybody else could guess, and only
longed passionately to be alone and free to think and cry over her lost
love and broken hopes.

'Why, my dear, y