on his table,
which had just arrived from London. "Why, what are these, my dear
Smith?" said I earnestly--for he lay on the sofa in a state of miserable
exhaustion. After some minutes' pause, he replied, "It is a very
troublesome case. I have to reply or demur to some very harassing pleas
of ----."--"But why not postpone them till near the end of October?"
"When I am not fatigued, papers amuse me, and occupy my attention." I
offered to him my services. "No, thank you--it would fatigue me more to
explain the previous state of matters, with which I am familiar, than to
draw the pleadings"--and he did it himself. On another occasion, I saw
him sitting in his easy chair, deadly pale. When I had placed myself
beside him, he said in a faint tone, but calmly and deliberately, "This
morning a very serious thing has happened to me," and he mentioned a new
and very alarming feature in his complaint, which, alas! fully justified
his observation; and during the day he allowed me to request Dr. Duke,
who was attending a patient in the hotel, to see him. He did--and on
quitting him, told me that of course the case was hopeless; that his
friends should be sent for, and he would not answer for his life for a
few weeks, or even days. Two or three days afterwards, Dr. Duke saw him
again, and had left him only half-an-hour when I called. He was writing
a letter to an old friend (one of his executors,) and his face wore an
expression of peculiar solemnity. Laying down his pen, and leaning back
in his chair, he gently shook my hand, and, in an affectionate manner,
said, "Warren, I have just had a startling communication made me by Dr.
Duke; he has told me plainly that I cannot live much longer,--that
recovery is utterly out of the question,--and that I am nearer death
than I suppose." After a pause, I said, "He has been faithful, then, my
dear Smith. It was his duty; and I trust he did it in a prudent
manner."--"Perfectly," he replied. Profound gloom was in his features,
but he was perfectly calm. Presently he said, covering his face with his
attenuated hand, "I have none to thank but myself; I have killed myself
by going the last circuit, but I could not resist some tempting briefs
which awaited me! I now regret that I did not allow my sister to come
over, months ago, and go with her to the South of France; but of course
wishing _now_ is useless." Again I entreated him to allow her to be sent
for. "My dear Warren," said he very decisively,