CAD. A bit of dry toast, then; any thing, my dear Mrs Jellybags. I've such a gnawing--Ugh! ugh! JEL. My dear sir, you would die if you swallowed the least thing that's nourishing. CAD. I'm sure I shall die if I do not. Well, then, a little soup--I should like that very much indeed. JEL. Soup! it would be poison, my dear sir! No, no. You must take your pill and your draught. CAD. Oh dear! oh dear!--Forty-eight pills and forty-eight draughts every twenty-four hours!--not a wink of sleep day or night. JEL. (_soothingly_.) But it's to make you well, you know, my dear Mr Cadaverous. Come, now. (_Hands him a pill and some water in a tumbler_.) CAD. The last one is hardly down yet;--I feel it sticking half-way. Ugh! ugh! JEL. Then wash them both down at once. Come, now, 'tis to make you well, you know. CADAVEROUS _takes the pill with a wry face, and coughs it up again_. CAD. Ugh! ugh! There--it's up again. Oh dear! oh dear! JEL. You must take it, my dear sir. Come, now, try again. CAD. (_coughing_.) My cough is so bad. (_Takes the pill_.) Oh, my poor head! Now I'll lie down again. JEL. Not yet, my dear Mr Cadaverous. You must take your draught;-- it's to make you well, you know. CAD. What! another draught? I'm sure I must have twenty draughts in my inside, besides two boxes of pills! JEL. Come, now--it will be down in a minute. [CADAVEROUS _takes the wine-glass in his hand, and looks at it with abhorrence_.] JEL. Come, now. [CADAVEROUS _swallows the draught, and feels very sick, puts his handkerchief to his mouth, and, after a time, sinks back in the chair quite exhausted, and shuts his eyes_.] JEL. (_aside_.) I wish the doctor would come. It's high time that he made his will. CAD. (_drawing up his leg_.) Oh! oh! oh! JEL. What's the matter, my dear Mr Cadaverous. CAD. Oh! such pain!--oh! rub it, Mrs Jellybags. JEL. What, here, my dear sir? (_Rubs his knee_.) CAD. No, no!--Not there!--Oh, my hip! JEL. What, here? (_Rubs his hip_.) CAD. No, no!--higher--higher! Oh, my side! JEL. What, here? (_Rubs his side_.) CAD. No!--lower! JEL. Here? (_Rubbing_.) CAD. No!--higher!--Oh, my chest!--my stomach! Oh dear!--oh dear! JEL. Are you better now, my dear sir? CAD. Oh dear! oh! I do believe that I shall die! I've been a very wicked man, I'm afraid. JEL. Don't say so, Mr Cadaverous. Every one but your nephews and nieces say that you are the best man in the world. CAD. Do they? I was afraid that I had not been quite so good as they think I am. JEL. I'd like to hear any one say to the contrary. I'd tear their eyes out,--that I would. CAD. You are a good woman, Mrs Jellybags; and I shall not forget you in my will. JEL. Don't mention wills, my dear sir. You make me so miserable. (_Puts her handkerchief to her eyes_.) CAD. Don't cry, Mrs Jellybags. I won't talk any more about it. (_Sinks back exhausted_.) JEL. (_wiping her eyes_.) Here comes Dr Gumarabic.