les, from which he partook quite liberally. He then hastily
swallowed a piece of mince-pie, and a slice or two of cake, when, the
night air beginning to feel chilly, he hurried back to bed. This last
operation was by no means so easy as he had imagined it would be. His
knees were very weak and "shaky," and it seemed as though they could
not support him, when he undertook to go up stairs. He was alarmed,
and would have given up the attempt, and called for help, but for the
dread of being caught in such a flagrant act of disobedience. So he
persisted in his efforts, and finally reached his chamber, quite
exhausted.

After a heavy and troubled sleep, Oscar awoke in the morning, feeling
quite wretchedly. As soon as his mother entered the room, her quick
eye detected the unfavorable change; but he did not seem inclined to
complain much of his feelings, and appeared averse to conversing about
them. She ascertained, however, after awhile, that Oscar was more
feverish than he had been, that he had a severe pain in his chest, and
that his cough was worse. Many were the surmises thrown out, by his
father and mother, as to the probable cause of this change in his
symptoms; but as for himself, he seemed entirely at a loss to account
for the mystery, and left them to form their own conjectures.

The doctor, who now visited Oscar only two or three times a week, was
sent for after breakfast. When he arrived, he questioned Mrs. Preston
very closely as to the manner in which the patient had been treated,
and he also addressed many inquiries to Oscar; but he learned nothing
from either that could account for the renewed attack of fever. He sat
a few moments, in a thoughtful mood, seemingly at a loss what to say,
when Oscar, who had complained much of nausea for the last half hour,
began to show symptoms of vomiting. A basin was brought, and the
contents of his stomach were quickly discharged into it.

The mystery was now explained. Mrs. Preston looked on in silent
astonishment, while the doctor could hardly repress his anger at this
exhibition of the contents of his patient's stomach. There were great
pieces of unmasticated meat and potato, mixed up with a porridge of
half-dissolved pie and cake, the whole forming a medley of hearty and
indigestible substances, that would have taxed the strong stomach of a
healthy man.

"Well," said the doctor, turning to Mrs. Preston, when Oscar got
through, "what does all this mean?"