had ever been away (he thought
she had gone out with the Doctor, but it was all a dream perhaps),
and presently a bottle and glass got into her hands magically, and
she poured out the contents for him. After that, he had some real good
jelly, which Mrs Blimber brought to him herself; and then he was so
well, that Mrs Pipchin went home, at his urgent solicitation, and Briggs
and Tozer came to bed. Poor Briggs grumbled terribly about his own
analysis, which could hardly have discomposed him more if it had been a
chemical process; but he was very good to Paul, and so was Tozer, and so
were all the rest, for they every one looked in before going to bed,
and said, 'How are you now, Dombey?' 'Cheer up, little Dombey!' and
so forth. After Briggs had got into bed, he lay awake for a long time,
still bemoaning his analysis, and saying he knew it was all wrong, and
they couldn't have analysed a murderer worse, and--how would Doctor
Blimber like it if his pocket-money depended on it? It was very easy,
Briggs said, to make a galley-slave of a boy all the half-year, and then
score him up idle; and to crib two dinners a-week out of his board, and
then score him up greedy; but that wasn't going to be submitted to, he
believed, was it? Oh! Ah!

Before the weak-eyed young man performed on the gong next morning, he
came upstairs to Paul and told him he was to lie still, which Paul very
gladly did. Mrs Pipchin reappeared a little before the Apothecary, and a
little after the good young woman whom Paul had seen cleaning the stove
on that first morning (how long ago it seemed now!) had brought him his
breakfast. There was another consultation a long way off, or else Paul
dreamed it again; and then the Apothecary, coming back with Doctor and
Mrs Blimber, said:

'Yes, I think, Doctor Blimber, we may release this young gentleman from
his books just now; the vacation being so very near at hand.'

'By all means,' said Doctor Blimber. 'My love, you will inform Cornelia,
if you please.'

'Assuredly,' said Mrs Blimber.

The Apothecary bending down, looked closely into Paul's eyes, and felt
his head, and his pulse, and his heart, with so much interest and care,
that Paul said, 'Thank you, Sir.'

'Our little friend,' observed Doctor Blimber, 'has never complained.'

'Oh no!' replied the Apothecary. 'He was not likely to complain.'

'You find him greatly better?' said Doctor Blimber.

'Oh! he is greatly better, Sir,' returned the Apothecary