ght
of the churchwardens, we shook the gallows; we undid the sexton's work
of dark nights, penetrated with love of science and our kind; all the
authorities had their orders from Paris to wink; and they winked. Gods
of Olympus, how they winked! The gracious king assisted us: he sent us
twice a year a living criminal condemned to die, and said, 'Deal ye with
him as science asks; dissect him alive, if ye think fit.'"

"By the liver of Herod, and Nero's bowels, he'll make me blush for the
land that bore me, an' if he praises it any more," shouted Denys at the
top of his voice.

Gerard gave a little squawk, and put his fingers in his ears; but
speedily drew them out and shouted angrily, and as loudly, "you great
roaring, blaspheming bull of Basan, hold your noisy tongue!"

Denys summoned a contrite look.

"Tush, slight man," said the doctor, with calm contempt, and vibrated
a hand over him as in this age men make a pointer dog down charge; then
flowed majestic on. "We seldom or never dissected the living criminal,
except in part. We mostly inoculated them with such diseases as the
barren time afforded, selecting of course the more interesting ones."

"That means the foulest," whispered Denys meekly.

"These we watched through all their stages to maturity."

"Meaning the death of the poor rogue," whispered Denys meekly.

"And now, my poor sufferer, who best merits your confidence, this
honest soldier with his youth, his ignorance, and his prejudices, or a
greybeard laden with the gathered wisdom of ages?"

"That is," cried Denys impatiently, "will you believe what a jackdaw in
a long gown has heard from a starling in a long gown, who heard it from
a jay-pie, who heard it from a magpie, who heard it from a popinjay; or
will you believe what I, a man with nought to gain by looking awry, nor
speaking false, have seen; nor heard with the ears which are given us
to gull us, but seen with these sentinels mine eye, seen, seen; to wit,
that fevered and blooded men die, that fevered men not blooded live?
stay, who sent for this sang-sue? Did you?"

"Not I. I thought you had."

"Nay," explained the doctor, "the good landlord told me one was 'down'
in his house; so I said to myself, 'A stranger, and in need of my art,'
and came incontinently."

"It was the act of a good Christian, sir."

"Of a good bloodhound," cried Denys contemptuously. "What, art thou so
green as not to know that all these landlords are in league with