and I'll tell you.' So she ran up to the door and gave
me notice, and presently called to him again. 'Brother,' says she,
'you may come if you please.' So in he came, just in the same kind of
rant. 'Well,' says he at the door as he came in, 'where is this sick
body that's in love? How do ye do, Mrs. Betty?' I would have got up
out of my chair, but was so weak I could not for a good while; and he
saw it, and his sister to, and she said, 'Come, do not strive to stand
up; my brother desires no ceremony, especially now you are so weak.'
'No, no, Mrs. Betty, pray sit still,' says he, and so sits himself down
in a chair over against me, and appeared as if he was mighty merry.

He talked a lot of rambling stuff to his sister and to me, sometimes of
one thing, sometimes of another, on purpose to amuse his sister, and
every now and then would turn it upon the old story, directing it to
me. 'Poor Mrs. Betty,' says he, 'it is a sad thing to be in love; why,
it has reduced you sadly.' At last I spoke a little. 'I am glad to
see you so merry, sir,' says I; 'but I think the doctor might have
found something better to do than to make his game at his patients. If
I had been ill of no other distemper, I know the proverb too well to
have let him come to me.' 'What proverb?' says he, 'Oh! I remember it
now. What--

"Where love is the case,
The doctor's an ass."

Is not that it, Mrs. Betty?' I smiled and said nothing. 'Nay,' says
he, 'I think the effect has proved it to be love, for it seems the
doctor has been able to do you but little service; you mend very
slowly, they say. I doubt there's somewhat in it, Mrs. Betty; I doubt
you are sick of the incurables, and that is love.' I smiled and said,
'No, indeed, sir, that's none of my distemper.'

We had a deal of such discourse, and sometimes others that signified as
little. By and by he asked me to sing them a song, at which I smiled,
and said my singing days were over. At last he asked me if he should
play upon his flute to me; his sister said she believe it would hurt
me, and that my head could not bear it. I bowed, and said, No, it
would not hurt me. 'And, pray, madam.' said I, 'do not hinder it; I
love the music of the flute very much.' Then his sister said, 'Well,
do, then, brother.' With that he pulled out the key of his closet.
'Dear sister,' says he, 'I am very lazy; do step to my closet and fetch
my flute; it lies in such a drawer,' naming a pl