"Why," said the physician, "I perceive I must explain to you the nature
of the action of my paint. It does not exactly prevent sin; it
extenuates instead the painful consequences. It is not so much for this
world, as for the next; it is not against life; in short, it is against
death that I have fitted you out. And when you come to die, you will
give me news of my paint."

"Oh!" cried the young man, "I had not understood that, and it seems a
little disappointing. But there is no doubt all is for the best: and in
the meanwhile, I shall be obliged if you will help me to undo the evil I
have brought on innocent persons."

"That is none of my business," said the physician; "but if you will go
round the corner to the police office, I feel sure it will afford you
relief to give yourself up."

Six weeks later, the physician was called to the town gaol.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried the young man. "Here am I literally
crusted with your paint; and I have broken my leg, and committed all the
crimes in the calendar, and must be hanged to-morrow; and am in the
meanwhile in a fear so extreme that I lack words to picture it."

"Dear me," said the physician. "This is really amazing. Well, well;
perhaps, if you had not been painted, you would have been more frightened
still."

VIII.--THE HOUSE OF ELD.

So soon as the child began to speak, the gyve was riveted; and the boys
and girls limped about their play like convicts. Doubtless it was more
pitiable to see and more painful to bear in youth; but even the grown
folk, besides being very unhandy on their feet, were often sick with
ulcers.

About the time when Jack was ten years old, many strangers began to
journey through that country. These he beheld going lightly by on the
long roads, and the thing amazed him. "I wonder how it comes," he asked,
"that all these strangers are so quick afoot, and we must drag about our
fetter?"

"My dear boy," said his uncle, the catechist, "do not complain about your
fetter, for it is the only thing that makes life worth living. None are
happy, none are good, none are respectable, that are not gyved like us.
And I must tell you, besides, it is very dangerous talk. If you grumble
of your iron, you will have no luck; if ever you take it off, you will be
instantly smitten by a thunderbolt."

"Are there no thunderbolts for these strangers?" asked Jack.

"Jupiter is longsuffering to the benighted," returned the catec