East--her gown and cap decorated with
costly needlework--her fingers covered with a profusion of rings, while
a cambric handkerchief, richly embroidered, in her right hand, had
partly enveloped in its folds a large golden vinegarette, set profusely
with glittering gems.

The rapid survey which enabled me to gather this general estimate of
what was presented to me, was nearly completed before the invalid had
collected strength enough to answer my question; and she was just
beginning to speak--having as yet pronounced only a few inarticulate
syllables--when she was interrupted by the entrance of the same young
woman who had acted as my conductress, and who now exhibited a manner
the very opposite of the soft, quiet, slipping nature of her former
carriage. The suddenness, and even impetuosity of her entry, was
inconsistent with the character of nurse to a lady in so distressed a
condition as that of her apparent mistress; but her subsequent conduct
was much more incomprehensible and extraordinary; for, without speaking
and without stopping, she rushed forward, and, taking me by the arm,
hurried me away through the door by which I had entered, along the
lighted passage, down the stair, and never stopped until she landed me
on the threshold of the back-door by which I entered the house. At this
time I heard the bell of, as I thought, the fore or street door of the
house ringing violently; and my conductress, without saying a word, ran
away as fast as the darkness would permit, leaving me, perplexed and
confounded at what I had seen and heard, to find my way home in the best
way I could.

In my professional capacity I had not been accustomed to any mysterious
or secret practice of our art, which, being exercised ostensibly and in
reality for the benefit of mankind, requires no cloak to cover its
operations; and, though I was curious to know the secret of such
incomprehensible proceedings, I felt no admiration of, or relish
for adventures so unsuited to the life and manners of a sober,
practical man. One thing, however, was clear, and seemed sufficient
to reconcile my practical, every-day notions of life with this mysterious
negotiation, and even to solve the doubt I entertained whether I should
again trust myself as a party to the devices of secrecy--and that was,
that the individual I had been thus called to see professionally was in
such a condition of body as required urgently the administrations of a
medical practition