ouldn't, there isn't one of your
hired nurses would do more; and I'm willing to continue of it, provisoed
as I have help at nights, and my trouble considered in my wages."

"You need have no apprehension; you shall be paid for your trouble. Has
he been long ill?"

"Well, sir, he took the cold as were the beginning of his illness a
fortnight ago come next Thursday. You may remember, perhaps, as it came
on awful wet in the afternoon, last Thursday week, and Mr. Saltram was
out in the rain, and walked home in it,--not being able to get a cab, I
suppose, or perhaps not caring to get one, for he was always a careless
gentleman in such respects,--and come in wet through to the skin; and
instead of changing his clothes, as a Christian would have done, just
gives himself a shake like, as he might have been a New-fondling dog that
had been swimming, and sits down before the fire, which of course drawed
out the steam from his things and made it worse, and writes away for dear
life till twelve o'clock that night, having something particular to
finish for them magazines, he says; and so, when I come to tidy-up a bit
the last thing at night, I found him sitting at the table writing, and
didn't take no more notice of me than a dog, which was his way, though
never meant unkindly--quite the reverse."

The laundress paused to draw breath, and to pour a dose of medicine from
one of the bottles on the table.

"Well, sir, the next day, he had a vi'lent cold, as you may suppose, and
was low and languid-like, but went on with his writing, and it weren't no
good asking him not. 'I want money, Mrs. Pratt,' he said; 'you can't tell
how bad I want money, and these people pay me for my stuff as fast as I
send it in.' The day after that he was a deal worse, and had a wandering
way like, as if he didn't know what he was doing; and sat turning over
his papers with one hand, and leaning his head upon the other, and
groaned so that it went through one like a knife to hear him. 'It's no
use,' he said at last; 'it's no use!' and then went and threw hisself
down upon that bed, and has never got up since, poor dear gentleman! I
went round to fetch a doctor out of Essex Street, finding as he was no
better in the evening, and awful hot, and still more wandering-like--Mr.
Mew by name, a very nice gentleman--which said as it were rheumatic
fever, and has been here twice a day ever since."

"Has Mr. Saltram never been in his right senses since that day?" G