hip"--thus was the event related--"had been entertaining
a party at dinner, and amongst them was his brother-in-law, Colonel
Scarlett. In its incidents the dinner had been as lively and agreeable
as those events in social and refined life usually are. Scarlett had
an important engagement with Campbell in the city on the following
Monday, this being Saturday night. As he rose to go Scarlett wished
his host good-night with a hearty shake-hands.

"'Good-night--good-night; we shall meet again on Monday.'"

Alas! Campbell died that night suddenly, and by a singular
interposition of Providence, Scarlett died suddenly the next day,
Sunday. They met no more in this world.

* * * * *

In the course of my life I have suffered, like many others, from
nameless afflictions--nameless because they do not exist. No one can
localize this strange infirmity or realize it. You only know you have
a sensation of depression. In every other respect I was perfectly
well, yet I thought it was necessary to see a doctor. So it was, if I
wished to be ill.

Being in this unhappy condition, I consulted Sir James Paget, then in
the zenith of his fame.

It did not take him very long to test me. I think he did it with a
smile, for I felt a good deal better after it.

"Just tell me," said he, "do you ever drink any water?"

"Now it's coming," I thought; "he's going to knock me off my wine." I
thought, however, I would be equal to the occasion, and said,--

"I know what you are driving at: you want to know if I ever mix a
little water in my wine."

"No, no, I don't," said he; "you are quite wrong, for if your water is
good and your wine bad, you spoil your water; and if your wine is good
and your water bad, you spoil your wine."

I took his advice--which was certainly worth the fee--and never mixed
my wine with water after that, although I have some doubt as to
whether I had ever done so before.

I came away in good heart, because I was so delighted that there was
not a vestige of anything the matter with me.

With a view to enable me to give each case due consideration before
fixing the poor wretch's doom after conviction, I invariably ordered
the prisoner to stand down until all were tried.

I then spent a night in going through my notes in each case, so that
if there were any circumstances that I could lay hold of by way of
mitigation of the sentence, I did so.

I do not mean to say that I did this in t