"I am no friend either to excess or to violent stimulus, Mrs. Blower--but nature must be supported--a generous diet--cordials judiciously thrown in--not without the advice of a medical man--that is my opinion, Mrs. Blower, to speak as a friend--others may starve their patients if they have a mind." "It wadna do for me, the starving, Dr. Keekerben," said the alarmed relict,--"it wadna do for me at a'--Just a' I can do to wear through the day with the sma' supports that nature requires--not a soul to look after me, Doctor, since John Blower was ta'en awa.--Thank ye kindly, sir," (to the servant who handed the tea,)--"thank ye, my bonny man," (to the page who served the cake)--"Now, dinna ye think, Doctor," (in a low and confidential voice,) "that her leddyship's tea is rather of the weakliest--water bewitched, I think--and Mrs. Jones, as they ca' her, has cut the seedcake very thin?" "It is the fashion, Mrs. Blower," answered Dr. Quackleben; "and her ladyship's tea is excellent. But your taste is a little chilled, which is not uncommon at the first use of the waters, so that you are not sensible of the flavour--we must support the system--reinforce the digestive powers--give me leave--you are a stranger, Mrs. Blower, and we must take care of you--I have an elixir which will put that matter to rights in a moment." So saying, Dr. Quackleben pulled from his pocket a small portable case of medicines--"Catch me without my tools,"--he said; "here I have the real useful pharmacopoeia--the rest is all humbug and hard names--this little case, with a fortnight or month, spring and fall, at St. Ronan's Well, and no one will die till his day come." Thus boasting, the Doctor drew from his case a large vial or small flask, full of a high-coloured liquid, of which he mixed three tea-spoonfuls in Mrs. Blower's cup, who, immediately afterwards, allowed that the flavour was improved beyond all belief, and that it was "vera comfortable and restorative indeed." "Will it not do good to my complaints, Doctor?" said Mr. Winterblossom, who had strolled towards them, and held out his cup to the physician. "I by no means recommend it, Mr. Winterblossom," said Dr. Quackleben, shutting up his case with great coolness; "your case is oedematous, and you treat it your own way--you are as good a physician as I am, and I never interfere with another practitioner's patient." "Well, Doctor," said Winterblossom, "I must wait till Sir Bingo comes in--he has a hunting-flask usually about him, which contains as good medicine as yours to the full." "You will wait for Sir Bingo some time," said the Doctor; "he is a gentleman of sedentary habits--he has ordered another magnum." "Sir Bingo is an unco name for a man o' quality, dinna ye think sae, Dr. Cocklehen?" said Mrs. Blower. "John Blower, when he was a wee bit in the wind's eye, as he ca'd it, puir fallow--used to sing a sang about a dog they ca'd Bingo, that suld hae belanged to a farmer."