"I don't wonder at that," replied the doctor; every friend you ever had has got you work of one kind or another during the last few years, and you have drunk yourself out of it every time. Do you imagine that your friends will continue to care for a man who cares not for himself? Ned did not reply, but hung his head in moody silence. "Now," continued the doctor, "my time is a little more valuable than yours; state what you have got to say, and then be off. Stay," he added, in a softened tone, "have you breakfasted?" "No," answered Ned, with a hungry glance at the table. "Well, then, as you did not come to beg, you may draw in your chair and go to work." Ned at once availed himself of this permission, and his spirits revived wonderfully as he progressed with the meal, during which he stated the cause of his visit. "The fact is," said he, "that I want your assistance, doctor--" "I told you already," interrupted the other, "that I have assisted you to the utmost extent of my means." "My good fellow, not so sharp, pray," said Ned, helping himself to another roll, the first having vanished like a morning cloud; "I don't want money--ah: that is to say, I _do_ want money, but I don't want yours. No; I came here to ask you to help me to get a body." "A body. What do you mean?" "Why, what I say; surely you've cut up enough of 'em to know 'em by name; a dead body, doctor,--a subject." The doctor smiled. "That's a strange request, Ned. You're not going to turn to my profession as a last resort, I hope?" "No, not exactly; but a friend of mine wants a body--that's all, and offers to pay me a good round sum if I get one for him." "Is your friend a medical man?" asked the doctor. "N-no, he's not. In fact, he has more to do with spirits than bodies; but he wants one of the latter--and I said I'd try to get him one--so, if you can help me, do so, like a good fellow. My friend is particular, however; he wants a _man_ one, above six feet, thin and sallow, and with long black hair." "You don't suppose I keep a stock of assorted subjects on hand, do you?" said the doctor. "I fear it won't be easy to get what you want. Do you know what your friend intends to do with it?" "Not I, and I don't care," said Ned, pouring out another cup of coffee. "What does a body cost?" "Between two and three pounds," replied the doctor. "Dear me, so cheap," said Ned, with a look of surprise; "then that knocks on the head a little plan I had. I thought of offering myself for sale at Guy's or one of the hospitals, and drinking myself to death with the money, leaving my address, so that they might know where to find me; but it's not worth while to do it for so little; in fact, I don't believe I could accomplish it on three pounds' worth of dissipation." "Don't jest about your besetting sin," said the doctor gravely; "it's bad enough without that."