nothing fair in heredity, whether its gifts be good or bad. It is arrant theft or bribery, as the case may be. Father himself came of a line of free-livers, and yet he suffered scarcely at all from the hereditary ailment; and it has cropped out in me in pure wantonness, direct from my grandfather (who suffered terribly, by all accounts), while my two elder brothers go free and drink their fill. However, it so happens that I have made a special study of the disease, and shall be able to doctor myself, without calling in my worthy friend Drysdale, my popular and successful rival in the local field. Gout is confoundedly painful,—especially when you cannot solace yourself with reminiscences of Anacreontic nights of compensation.
It would be useless for me to think of leaving my rooms for the next three or four days at least; and, inasmuch as the burglar-hunt comes off to-morrow night, it is plain that in this, as in the other things of life, my part is to be still that of an on-looker. Certainly, if any one attempts to burgle my precious Sâprani, for instance, I shall—well, on second thoughts I would as well allow Sâprani to act for herself. She has arguments as effective as ever proceeded from a feminine mouth. Seriously, I shall be as secure as a robber-baron in his castle, and as comfortable as the gout permits; and, since no one will know but that I am away with the rest, I might chance to pick off an unsuspecting Jack Sheppard from my bedroom window.
It has been finally arranged that the party shall really drive down to the cabin on the lake, arriving there soon after sunset, and that when the ladies have been settled there they shall be left under the protection of the old Scotch gardener and his boy, while John, Henry, and Tom the groom shall ride back to Cedarcliffe, and lie in wait in certain favorable spots for what may turn up. The house is to be locked up and left absolutely empty,—except for me. Mother was very anxious that somebody should be left to attend upon me; but I explained to her that that would be enough to give me St. Vitus's dance in addition to my other troubles. In fact, I have rather a genius for solitude, and this affair will give me a brief opportunity of indulging it.
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They started an hour or more ago, and by this time are nearly at the lake; and I am here alone, with books, paper and pens, a box of cigars, and my foot bandaged up in flannel and resting on a stool. A pair of crutches lean against the table at my side, with which, when necessary, I can make shift to hobble about. My bed is made up on the sofa close by. I decided to put up in the library, instead of in the bedroom up-stairs, partly because it is more cheerful, and partly because I can have access to Sâprani in the laboratory adjoining. The gout,
