I quitted my sister to see my father, whom I found in his easy-chair. I was much shocked at his appearance. He was thin and haggard his eyes were wild, and he remained with his mouth constantly open. A sick nurse, who had been hired by my sister, was standing by him. "Pish, pish, pish, pish!" cried my father; "what can you, a stupid old woman, know about my inside? I tell you the gas is generating fast, and even now I can hardly keep on my chair. I'm lifting--lifting now; and if you don't tie me down with cords, I shall go up like a balloon." "Indeed, sir," replied the woman, "it's only the wind in your stomach. You'll break it off directly." "It's inflammable gas, you old hecate!--I know it is. Tell me will you get a cord, or will you not? Hah! who's that--Peter? Why you've dropped from the clouds, just in time to see me mount up to them." "I hope you feel yourself better, sir," said I. "I fell myself a great deal lighter every minute. Get a cord, Peter, and tie me to the leg of the table." I tried to persuade him that he was under a mistake; but it was useless. He became excessively violent, and said I wished him in heaven. As I had heard that it was better to humour people afflicted with hypochondriacism, which was evidently the disease under which my father laboured, I tried that method. "It appears to me, sir," said I, "that if we could remove the gas every ten minutes, it would be a very good plan." "Yes--but how?" replied he, shaking his head mournfully. "Why, with a syringe, sir," said I; "which will, if empty, of course draw out the gas, when inserted into your mouth." "My dear Peter, you have saved my life," replied my father; "be quick though, or I shall go up, right through the ceiling." Fortunately, there was an instrument of that description in the house. I applied it to his mouth, drew up the piston, and then ejected the air, and re-applied it. In two minutes he pronounced himself better, and I left the old nurse hard at work, and my father very considerably pacified. I returned to my sister, to whom I recounted what had passed; but it was no source of mirth to us, although had it happened to an indifferent person, I might have been amused. The idea of leaving her, as I must soon do--having only a fortnight's leave--to be worried by my father's unfortunate malady, was very distressing. But we entered into a long conversation, in which I recounted the adventures that had taken place since I had left her, and for the time forgot our source of annoyance and regret. For three days my father insisted upon the old woman pumping the gas out of his body; after that he again fell into one of his sound sleeps, which lasted nearly thirty hours. When he arose, I went again to see him. It was eight o'clock in the evening, and I entered with a candle. "Take it away--quick, take it away; put it out carefully." "Why, what's the matter, sir?"