or from that living tomb into which, with a humanity more cruel than
Nature's cruelty, we thrust the unfit ones away out of our sight! No one
gave him anything for his music, and with a pang in her heart she hurried
away on her quest.

Not all the street scenes were ghastly or painful. She came to one crowd,
ranged motionless and silent before a large, fat, dignified-looking man,
in good broad-cloth garments, white tie, and wearing a fez; he was calmly
sitting on a camp-stool, and held a small phial in one hand. Not a word
did he speak for a long time. At length one of the onlookers, a tipsy
working-man, becoming impatient, addressed him:

"Ain't you going to do nothing, mister? Here I've been a-waiting with
these other ladies and gentl'men more'n ten minutes, and you ain't done
nothing yet, nor yet said nothing."

The fat man placed a hand on his broad shirt-front, rolled up his eyes,
and solemnly shook his head.

"Fools, fools!" he said, as if speaking to himself. "But what does it
matter to me if they won't be saved--if they'd rather die of their
complaints? In the East it's different, because I'm known there. I've
been to Constantinople, and Morocco, and everywhere. Let them ask the
heathen what I have done for them. Do they think I cure them for the sake
of their dirty pence? No, no; those that like gold, and jewels, and
elephants to ride on, can have it all in the East, and I came away from
there. Because why? I care more for these. _I_ don't ask them what's
the matter with them! Is there such a thing as a leper in this crowd? Let
them bring me a leper here, and I'll cure him for nothing, just to show
them what this medicine is. As for rheumatics, consumption, toothache,