pute the monopoly. Good day, If I stay much longer, you'll make me believe black is white."

Dr. Blackmore shook him by the hand, and wishing him a good morning, returned home, pitying the worldlyness of his friend's mind; and pondering on the interesting stranger, whom be admired and compassionated to absolute pain; because he believed him to be unfortunate, and out of the reach of his services.

CHAPTER X.

THE Count Sobieski was cordially received by his worthy landlady; indeed he never stood more in need of kindness. A slow fever, which had been gradually creeping over him since his quitting Poland, had settled on his lungs, and excited a cough that kept him awake all night, and reduced him to such weakness in the day, that he neither had strength nor spirits to stir abroad.

Mrs. Robson was greatly distressed at this sudden and violent illness of her guest. Her own son, the father of the orphans whom she protected, had died a victim to consumption brought on by his excesses.

Thaddeus gave himself up completely to her management: he had no money for medical assistance: and to please her, he took what little medicines she prepared. According to her advice, he remained for several days shut up in his chamber, with a large fire, his curtains drawn, and the shutters shut, to exclude the smallest portion of that air, which the good woman thought had already stricken him with death.

But all would not do; the patient became worse and worse. Frightened at the symptoms, Mrs. Robson begged leave to send for the apothecary, who had attended her deceased son. In this instance only, she found the Count obstinate; no arguments, nor even her tears, could move him. When she stood weeping, holding his burning hand his answer was constantly of this kind.

"Do not, my excellent Mrs. Robson, grieve yourself

my account; I am not in the danger you think; I shall do very well with your assistance."

"No, no; I see death in your eyes. Can I feel this hand, and see that hectic cheek, without beholding your grave, as it were, opening before me?"

She was not much mistaken; for during the night after this debate, Thaddeus grew so delirious, that no longer able to subdue her terrors, she sent for the apothecary to come instantly to her house.

"O! doctor," cried she, as the man ascended the stairs. "I have the best young gentleman that ever the sun shone on, dying in that room! He would not let me send for you; and now he is raving like a mad creature."

Mr. Vincent entered the count's humble apartment, and undrew the curtains of the bed. Thaddeus exhausted by his delirium, had sunk back, almost senseless on the pillow. Mrs. Robson, at this sight, supposing him dead, uttered a shriek that was in a moment echoed by the cries of the little William, who stood near his grandmother.

"Hush, my good woman," said the doctor, in a low voice," the gentleman is not dead: leave the room till you have recovered yourself, and I will engage that you shall see him alive when you return. ""

Mrs. Robson, considering all his words as oracles, quitted the room with her grandson.

Mr. Vincent had felt, on entering the chamber, that the fever of his patient must be augmented by the hot and stifling state of the room: and before he attempted to disturb him from the temporary rest which his senses found in insensibility, he opened the window-shutters, damped the raging of the fire with ashes and water, and then unclosing the room door wide enough to admit the air from the adjoining apartment,undrew all the curtains of the bed and pulling the heavy clothes down from the count's bosom, raised his head on his arm and poured some drops into his mouth. In a moment he opened his eyes, and uttered a few wild and incoherent words: but he did not rave, he only wandered, and appeared to know that he did so: for when he quite recovered his powers, he every now and en stopped in the midst of some confused speech and

Mrs. Robson soon after entered the room, and, poured out her thanks to the apothecary, whom she regarded as almost a worker of miracles.

"I must have him bled Mrs. Robson," continued he, "and for that purpose shall go home for my assistant and Fancets; but in the meanwhile, I charge you to let every thing remain in the state that I have left it. The heat alone would have been enough to have given a fever to a man in health.”

When the apothecary returned he saw that his commands had been strictly obeyed; and finding that the change of atmosphere had wrought some alteration in his patient he took his arm without any difficulty and bled. At the end of the operation Thaddeus again fainted.

"Poor gentleman!" cried Mr. Vincent, binding ap the wound, before he tried to recover him; " look here Tom," pointing to the scars on his arm and breast; "see what terrible cuts have been made there! This has not been playing at soldiers! Who is your lodger, Mrs. Rob son ?"

"A Mr. Constantine, Mr. Vincent. But for heaven's sake restore him out of that swoon."

Mr. Vincent poured more drops into his mouth; and a minute afterwards, he opened his eyes, divested of their feverish glare, but looking dull and heavy. He spoke to Mrs. Robson by her name; which gave her such delight, that she caught his hand to her lips, and burst into tears. The action was so instantaneous and violent that it made bim feel the stiffness of his arm; and casting his eyes to wards the men near his bed, he conjectured what had been his state, and what the consequence.

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"Come, Mrs. Robson," said the apothecary, you must not disturb the gentleman. How do you find your self, sir."

Thaddeus having regained his perfect recollection, felt uneasy; but as the deed could not be recalled, he thanked the doctor for the service he bad received j and said a few kind and grateful words to his good hom

tees.

Mr. Vincent was glad to sen so promising an imrap to kir

proceeding, and soon after retired with his assistant and Mrs. Robson, to give further directions.

On entering the kitchen she threw herself into a chait, and broke into a paroxysm of lamentations.

My good woman, what is all this about ?" inquired the doctor. "Is not my patient better?"

"Yes," cried she, drying her eyes; "but the bed in which he lies, the whole scene, puts me so in mind of the last inoments of my poor unfortunate, misguided son, that the very sight of it goes through my heart like a knife. O! had my boy been as good as that dear gentleman, had he been as well prepared to die, I think I would scarcely have grieved! Yet lieaven spare Mr. Constantine. Will be live ???

"I hope so Mrs. Robson; this fever is inveterate; but he is young, and with extreme care we may preserve him."

"The Lord grant it!" cried she, "for he is the best gentleman that I every beheld. He has been above a week with me; and till this night, in which he lost his senses, though hardly able to breathe or see, he has read out of books that he brought with him; and good books too; for it was but yesterday morning, I saw the dear soul sitting by the fire with a book on the table, which he had been studying near an hour; and as I was dusting about, I saw him lay his head down on it, and put his hand on his temples. Alas! sir,' said I, you teaze your brains with these books of learning, when you ought to be taking rest."No, Mrs. Robson,' returned he, with a weet smile, in this book I am seeking rest; it is the best soother of human afflictions:' he closed it, and put it on the chimney-piece; and when I looked at it afterwards, I saw it was the scriptures. Can you wonder that I should love so excellent a gentleman ?"

"It is a strange account you have given of your lodger," replied Vincent: "I hope he is not a methodist; for if so I shall despair of his cure, and think his delirium had another cause besides fever."

A methodist! No, sir, he is a christian: and as good a reasonable sweet tempered gentleman as ever came into a house. Alas! I believe he is more like a

papist; though they say papists don't read the Bible, but worship images."

"Why, what reason have you to suppose that? He's an Englishman, is he not?"

"O no, he is an emigrant.'

"An emigrant! O, ho!" cried Vincent, with a dis contented and contemptuous raise of his eyebrows and voice;"what, a poor Frenchman! Good Lord, how this Lown is overrun by these fellows!"

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"No doctor," exclaimed Mrs. Robson, much hurt in pride and feeling at this affront to her lodger, whom she really loved; "whatever he be, he is not poor, for he has a power of fine things; he has got a watch all over diamonds, and diamond rings, and diamond pictures without number. So doctor you need not fear that you are attending him for charity; no I would sell my gown first." Nay, don't be offended Mrs. Robson! I meant no of fence," returned he, much mollified by this explanation of hers ; "but really when we see the bread that should feed our children, and our own poor, eaten up by a parcel of lazy French drones; who have covered our land, and destroyed its produce, like a swarm of filthy locusts, we should be fools not to murmur. But Mr. Mr. what did you call him, Mrs. Robson? is a different sort of a body."

"Mr. Constantine," replied she, "and indeed he is; and no doubt, when you recover him, he will pay you as though he were in his own country."

This last assertion of hers, banished all remaining suspicion from the apothecary's face and after giving her what orders he thought requisite, he returned home promising to call in the evening.

Mrs. Robson went up stairs to the Count's chamber with other feelings towards her infallible doctor than those with which she came down. She well recollected the substance of his discourse; and she gathered from it, that however clever he might be in his profession, he was a hard hearted man, who would rather see a fellow creature perish than administer relief to him without a reward.

But here Mrs. Robson was mistaken She did him