I--about which I--"

"Troubled your spirits yesterday," added the youth, jocosely, pulling
his mustache.

"Beg pardon," I returned; "had we not better talk this over in private?
Come into my office," I added, touching the younger man on the arm.

Would you believe it? he took out his handkerchief and dusted the place
I had touched. "Better not," said he. "Go on, father; let us get done
with this den."

"Gentlemen," said the elder person, addressing the patients, "I called
here yesterday, like a fool, to ask who had stolen from me a sum of
money which I believed I left in my room on going out in the morning.
This doctor here and his spirits contrived to make me suspect my only
son. Well, I charged him at once with the crime as soon as I got
back home, and what do you think he did? He said, 'Father, let us go
up-stairs and look for it,' and--"

Here the young man broke in with: "Come, father; don't worry yourself
for nothing"; and then turning, added: "To cut the thing short, he found
the notes under his candle-stick, where he left them on going to bed.
This is all of it. We came here to stop this fellow" (by which he meant
me) "from carrying a slander further. I advise you, good people, to
profit by the matter, and to look up a more honest doctor, if doctoring
be what you want."

As soon as he had ended, I remarked solemnly: "The words of the spirits
are not my words. Who shall hold them accountable?"