omances--he'd never stay to have his head cut off."

"Well, and the doctor says, 'Who's this, Mrs. Guppy? Casson? How--what's
the matter with you? How long have you been here?' 'Just come to bed,
sir,' says Casson; and then the doctor makes a few inquiries about
his terrible headache, et cetera; and Mrs. Guppy had a twinge of the
toothache, and could only let the doctor know by little and little how
she had thought it better to put him to bed.

"'And that is medicine for him?'

"The doctor looked very suspiciously at the cup, I fancy, for his tone
was rather short and sulky. Frank seemed a little daunted, but he soon
got up his spirits again, and, stirring up the mess, was just going to
give it to Casson, when, lo! another strange footfall was heard; doctor
turned round (I was in a state of fright, I assure you, lest he should
discover me) and in marched the real Simon Pure! It was a picture--oh!
if I had been an artist:--there stood Gruffy, in her best black silk,
looking more puzzled than angry; Frank--I couldn't see what he looked
like, but I'll suppose it, as he says--and doctor turning from one
to the other with a face as red as a turkey-cock, and looking so
magnificent!"

[Illustration: The counterfeit Mrs. Guppy.]

"Poor Frank!" exclaimed several laughing voices.

"Well, at last Fudge found words, and in such a tone, exclaimed,
'MRS. GUPPY! who is THIS, then?' Then she stormed out; 'Ay, sir, who
is it, indeed? perhaps you will inquire.' I didn't see what followed,
for my range of vision was rather circumscribed--but I imagine that
doctor pulled off part of Frank's disguise, for the next words I heard
were, '_Digby_, this is _intolerable_!' uttered in the doctor's most
magnificent anger--'What is the meaning of this?' Frank said something
about _a wager_ and _a little fun, meaning no harm_, et cetera; and
Fudge gave him such a lecture, finishing off by declaring, that 'if he
persisted in perpetrating such senseless follies he should find some
other place to do so in than his house.' All the little boys were
laughing, but doctor stopped them all with a thundering 'SILENCE!' and
then he asked what Frank had in that cup. 'Cold tea, sir,' said Digby,
quite meekly. 'And what's this at the bottom?' 'Sugar, sir,' I saw the
doctor's face--it was not one to be trifled with, but there seemed
a sort of grim smile there, too, when he gave the cup to Frank and
insisted upon his drinking it all up; and Digby did it, too--