he had already to charge, and to give himself no farther trouble
unless he heard from him. The pharmacopolist, who, from discoveries
made by the cloak falling a little aside, had no great opinion of the
faculty of this chance patient to make reimbursement, had no sooner
seen his case espoused by a substantial citizen, than he showed some
reluctance to quit possession of it, and it needed a short and stern
hint from Master George, which, with all his good-humour, he was
capable of expressing when occasion required, to send to his own
dwelling this Esculapius of Temple Bar.

When they were rid of Mr. Raredrench, the charitable efforts of Jenkin
and Francis, to divest the patient of his long grey cloak, were firmly
resisted on his own part.--"My life suner--my life suner," he muttered
in indistinct murmurs. In these efforts to retain his upper garment,
which was too tender to resist much handling, it gave way at length
with a loud rent, which almost threw the patient into a second
syncope, and he sat before them in his under garments, the looped and
repaired wretchedness of which moved at once pity and laughter, and
had certainly been the cause of his unwillingness to resign the
mantle, which, like the virtue of charity, served to cover so many
imperfections.

The man himself cast his eyes on his poverty-struck garb, and seemed
so much ashamed of the disclosure, that, muttering between his teeth,
that he would be too late for his appointment, he made an effort to
rise and leave the shop, which was easily prevented by Jenkin Vincent
and his comrade, who, at the nod of Master George, laid hold of and
detained him in his chair.

The patient next looked round him for a moment, and then said faintly,