that he could talk with
a man much better when his head was not in a lantern. He now gave him a
full account of his bodily grievances also. Brenner looked wise, said
that the doctors had all mistaken his disease, and prescribed an
infallible remedy.

From this time forth he visited the manor-house farmer daily. All were
glad to see him except Nero, who proved so intractable that he had to
be chained whenever Brenner came. One day the latter threw him a piece
of bread as he was leaving the house; but the dog never touched it, but
sprang furiously at the giver.

Vefela was not equally inaccessible to the fine speeches and flatteries
of Brenner. She often scolded the maid for saying that Brenner had but
one coat, for he wore the same in the week and on Sunday. Such was the
way with the gentlefolks, she said; and everybody knew it who wasn't
too stupid. She often lingered near when Brenner talked with her
father, and rejoiced to find the latter almost invariably pleased with
the views advanced by the surgeon. His health happened to improve a
little after taking Brenner's prescription: this gave the latter an
excuse for saying again and again that he was in fact a better doctor
than the licensed physician, but that the law prevented him from
practising. He scolded about those who thought the only way to be wise
was to cram your head with books. "Practice makes perfect," he said. "A
farmer who knows the world often understands more about government
matters than all the ministers and governors; and so it is in
medicine." This mixture of sense and nonsense was very pleasing to the
manor-house farmer's ears: it jumped exactly with what his own
experience had made him wish to be true. The lawsuit also came in for a
share of the kind solicitude of Brenner. He confirmed the notion of the
manor-house farmer to meet in kind the tactics of his adversaries, and
resort to bribery. Brenner suggested the shrewd expedient of stealing a
march on the other party by giving gold instead of silver. Those were
the "good old times" when a lawsuit could not come to an end without
"cribbings" and officials had no hesitation in receiving illegal pay.

One evening, as Brenner left the house, Vefela accompanied him to the
door, and they remained standing there a while together. Brenner took
Vefela's hand and said, "'Pon honor, Vefela, you are a sweet girl,
and not like the peasant-girls at all: you are too refined for a
peasant-girl. 'Pon honor: a