threw his arms far behind him, and bowed low to his
listener.

Dr. Sevier had learned him well enough to beware of interrupting him,
lest when he resumed it would be at the beginning again. He made no
answer, and Reisen went on:--

"Bressently"-- He stopped his slow walk, brought forward both
palms, shrugged, dropped them, bowed, clasped them behind him, brought
the left one forward, dropped it, then the right one, dropped it also,
frowned, smiled, and said:--

"Bressently"--then a long silence--"effrapotty in my
etsteplitchmendt"--another long pause--"hef yoost teh same ettechmendt
to Mr. Richlun,"--another interval,--"tey hef yoost tso much effection
fur _him_"--another silence--"ass tey hef"--another, with a smile this
time--"fur--te teffle himpselluf!" An oven opened in the baker's face,
and emitted a softly rattling expiration like that of a bursted bellows.
The Doctor neither smiled nor spoke. Reisen resumed:--

"I seen udt. I seen udt. Ovver I toandt coult untershtayndt udt. Ovver
one tay cumps in mine little poy in to me fen te pakers voss all
ashleep, 'Pap-a, Mr. Richlun sayss you shouldt come into teh offuss.' I
kumpt in. Mr. Richlun voss tare, shtayndting yoost so--yoost so--py teh
shtofe; undt, Toctor Tseweer, I yoost tell you te ectsectly troot, he
toaldt in fife minudts--six minudts--seven minudts, udt may pe--undt
shoadt me how effrapotty, high undt low, little undt pick, Tom, Tick,
undt Harra, pin ropping me sindts more ass fife years!"

The longest pause of all followed this disclosure. The baker had
gradually backed the Doctor up against the wall, spreading out the whole
matter with his great palms turned now upward and now downward, the
bulky contents of his high-waisted, barn-door trowsers now bulged
out and now withdrawn, to be protruded yet more a moment later. He
recommenced by holding out his down-turned hand some distance above
the ground.

"I yoompt tot hoigh!" He blew his cheeks out, and rose a half-inch off
his heels in recollection of the mighty leap. "Ovver Mr. Richlun
sayss,--he sayss, 'Kip shtill, Mr. Reisen;' undt I kibt shtill."

The baker's auditor was gradually drawing him back toward the hospital
gate; but he continued speaking:--

"Py undt py, vun tay, I kot someting to say to Mr. _Richlun_, yet. Undt
I sendts vert to Mr. _Richlun_ tat _he_ shouldt come into teh offuss. He
cumps in. 'Mr. Richlun,' I sayss, sayss I to him, 'Mr. Richlun, I kot
udt!'" The baker shook his fin