across seas, from the old homesteads whence he migrated, following him
everywhere, and offering themselves sedulously and continually to his
notice, while he only plucks them away from the comparatively worthless
things which he cultivates, and flings them aside, blaspheming at them
because Providence has sown them so thickly--grow what we call weeds, only
because all the generations, from the beginning of time till now, have
failed to discover their wondrous virtues, potent for the curing of all
diseases, potent for procuring length of days.

"Everything good," said the doctor, drinking another dram of brandy, "lies
right at our feet, and all we need is to gather it up."

"That's true," quoth Keziah, taking just a little sup of her hellish
preparation; "these herbs were all gathered within a hundred yards of this
very spot, though it took a wise woman to find out their virtues."

The old woman went off about her household duties, and then it was that
Septimius submitted to the doctor the list of herbs which he had picked
out of the old document, asking him, as something apposite to the subject
of their discourse, whether he was acquainted with them, for most of them
had very queer names, some in Latin, some in English.

The bluff doctor put on his spectacles, and looked over the slip of yellow
and worn paper scrutinizingly, puffing tobacco-smoke upon it in great
volumes, as if thereby to make its hidden purport come out; he mumbled to
himself, he took another sip from his flask; and then, putting it down on
the table, appeared to meditate.

"This infernal old document," said he, at length, "is one that I have never
seen before, yet heard of, nevertheless; for it was my folly in youth (and