l better
acquainted with those studies than they who have neither given them any
importance of consideration--nor--nor any consideration of importance.
Establishing this as my hypothesis, I shall now proceed to--"

"Apply immediate remedies, if you please, Mr. Bossolton," interrupted
Mr. Mordaunt, in that sweet and honeyed tone which somehow or other
always silenced even the garrulous practitioner.

Driven into taciturnity, Mr. Bossolton again inspected the arm, and
proceeded to urge the application of liniments and bandages, which he
promised to prepare with the most solicitudinous despatch and the most
despatchful solicitude.

CHAPTER V.

Your name, Sir!
Ha! my name, you say--my name?
'T is well--my name--is--nay, I must consider.--Pedrillo.

This accident occasioned a delay of some days in the plans of the young
gentleman, for whom we trust very soon, both for our own convenience and
that of our reader, to find a fitting appellation.

Mr. Mordaunt, after seeing every attention paid to him both surgical
and hospitable, took his departure with a promise to call the next day;
leaving behind him a strong impression of curiosity and interest to
serve our hero as some mental occupation until his return. The bonny
landlady came up in a new cap, with blue ribbons, in the course of the
evening, to pay a visit of inquiry to the handsome patient, who was
removed from the Griffin, No. 4, to the Dragon, No. 8,--a room whose
merits were exactly in proportion to its number, namely, twice as great
as those of No. 4.

"Well, sir," said Mrs. Taptape, with a courtesy, "I trust you find
yourself better."

"At this moment I do," said the gallant youth, with a significant air.

"Hem," quoth the landlady.

A pause ensued. In spite of the compliment, a certain suspicion suddenly
darted across the mind of the hostess. Strong as are the prepossessions
of the sex, those of the profession are much stronger.

"Honest folk," thought the landlady, "don't travel with their initials
only; the last 'Whitehall Evening' was full of shocking accounts of
swindlers and cheats; and I gave nine pounds odd shillings for the
silver teapot John has brought him up,--as if the delft one was not good
enough for a foot traveller!"

Pursuing these ideas, Mrs. Taptape, looking bashfully down, said,--

"By the by, sir; Mr. Bossolton asked me what name he should put down in
his book for the medicines; what would you please me to say, si