meaning. Again
the chemist uttered some dozen words.

The doctor produced his purse, where certain gold pieces glittered, as
though to imply that he was willing to pay handsomely for his ignorance;
but the other pushed it away, and shook his head in resolute refusal.

"This is too bad," muttered Grounsell, angrily. "I 'll be sworn he
has the things, and will not give them." The chemist motioned Hans to
approach, and whispered a few words in his hearing, on which the
dwarf, removing his cap in courteous salutation, addressed Grounsell:
"High-born and much-learned Saar. De laws make no oder that doctoren
have recht to write physics."

"What!" cried Grounsell, not understanding the meaning of this speech.
Hans repeated it more slowly, and at length succeeded in conveying the
fact that physicians alone were qualified to procure medicines.

"But I am a doctor, my worthy friend, a physician of long standing."

"Das ist possible who knows?"

"I know, and I say it," rejoined the other, tersely.

"Ja! ja!" responded Hans, as though to say the theme were not worth
being warm about, one way or t' other.

"Come, my dear sir," said Grounsell, coaxingly; "pray be good enough to
explain that I want these medicines for a sick friend, who is now at the
hotel here, dangerously ill of gout."

"Podagra gout!" exclaimed Hans, with sudden animation, "and dese are de
cure for gout?"

"They will, I hope, be of service against it."

"You shall have dem Saar on one condition. That ist, you will visit
anoder sick man mit gout an Englessman, too verh ill verb sick; and no
rich you understan'."

"Yes, yes; I understand perfectly; I'll see him with pleasure. Tell this
worthy man to make up these for me, and I 'll go along with you now."

"Gut! verh good," said Hans, as in a few words of German he expressed
to the apothecary that he might venture to transgress the law in the
present case when the season was over, and no one to be the wiser.

As Hans issued forth to show the way, he never ceased to insist upon
the fact that the present was not a case for a fee, and that the doctor
should well understand the condition upon which his visit was to be
paid; and still inveighing on this theme, he arrived at the house where
the Daltons dwelt. "Remember, too," said Hans, "that, though they are
poor, they are of guten stamm how say you, noble?" Grounsell listened
with due attention to all Hanserl's cautions, following, not without
difficulty