' said the former; 'my
reason for returning is to relieve your mind from any anxiety with
respect to your horse. I am by no means sure that you will be able,
owing to your accident, to reach Horncastle in time; to quiet you,
however, I will buy your horse for any reasonable sum. I have been down
to the stable, and approve of his figure. What do you ask for him?'
'This is a strange time of night,' said I, 'to come to me about
purchasing my horse, and I am hardly in a fitting situation to be applied
to about such a matter. What do you want him for?' 'For my own use,'
said the surgeon; 'I am a professional man, and am obliged to be
continually driving about; I cover at least one hundred and fifty miles
every week.' 'He will never answer your purpose,' said I; 'he is not a
driving horse, and was never between shafts in his life; he is for
riding, more especially for trotting, at which he has few equals.' 'It
matters not to me whether he is for riding or driving,' said the surgeon;
'sometimes I ride, sometimes drive; so if we can come to terms, I will
buy him, though remember it is chiefly to remove any anxiety from your
mind about him.' 'This is no time for bargaining,' said I, 'if you wish
to have the horse for a hundred guineas, you may; if not--' 'A hundred
guineas!' said the surgeon. 'My good friend, you must surely be
light-headed; allow me to feel your pulse,' and he attempted to feel my
left wrist. 'I am not light-headed,' said I, 'and I require no one to
feel my pulse; but I should be light-headed if I were to sell my horse
for less than I have demanded; but I have a curiosity to know what you
would be willing to offer.' 'Thirty pounds,' said the surgeon, 'is all I
can afford to give, and that is a great deal for a country surgeon to
offer for a horse.' 'Thirty pounds,' said I, 'why he cost me nearly
double that sum. To tell you the truth, I am afraid you want to take
advantage of my situation.' 'Not in the least, friend,' said the
surgeon--'not in the least; I only wished to set your mind at rest about
your horse; but as you think he is worth more than I can afford to offer,
take him to Horncastle by all means; I will do my best to cure you in
time. Good night, I will see you again on the morrow.' Thereupon he
once more departed with the master of the house. 'A sharp one,' I heard
him say, with a laugh, as the door closed upon him.

Left to myself, I again essayed to compose myself to rest, but for