to do so; but I sometimes take the liberty of modifying that worthy person's commands. I will tell you what I did. I had him tied up to a post, and made Florian, as a punishment for his own late misbehaviour, administer fifty lashes to his bare back, another of my servants standing by with a whip to make the flagellator do his duty properly. Then we put him to bed, and rubbed his body all over with strong mustard and vinegar, and left orders that when he woke up in the morning he should be dusted with powder of Spanish flies and cayenne pepper.'
'Oh, Doctor! how could you do it? I can scarcely believe it—but the latter part at least you can revoke. Do so, do so, for mercy's sake, and for my sake!'
'Hush, hush!' he said hurriedly; 'are you going into one of your fits again? You haven't got the gizzard or the heart of a chicken. I am ashamed of you, upon my soul.'
'Remember, sir, he is a fellow-creature, though a fallen one—a human being; he may be misguided, he may be hardened; if you are cruel to him, it will only harden him still more.'
'Fiddlesticks,' said the Doctor.
'I beg your pardon, sir,' I replied. 'So far as I may dare to speak, but not to dictate, I recommend moderation. Nothing was ever gained by going to violent extremes, but a great deal has been lost, and lost without hope of recovery, by that unwise policy. I do not want to provoke an argument, or ruffle your temper, or interfere with your duties. You know what our great bard says about mercy; let no future poet or historian have to say, even of this place, that mercy was denied to such fallen creatures as Astoragus.'
The Doctor seemed moved by my appeal, and responded: 'Well, well, I will arrange that the dusting shall not be carried out; but let him not fall into my hands again—he may not have you here to beg him off. I believe you'd beg
