“This is too bad,” muttered Grounsell, angrily. “I 'll be sworn he has the things, and will not give them.” The chemist motioned Hans to approach, and whispered a few words in his hearing, on which the dwarf, removing his cap in courteous salutation, addressed Grounsell: “High-born and much-learned Saar. De laws make no oder that doctoren have recht to write physics.” “What!” cried Grounsell, not understanding the meaning of this speech. Hans repeated it more slowly, and at length succeeded in conveying the fact that physicians alone were qualified to procure medicines. “But I am a doctor, my worthy friend, a physician of long standing.” “Das ist possible who knows?” “I know, and I say it,” rejoined the other, tersely. “Ja! ja!” responded Hans, as though to say the theme were not worth being warm about, one way or t' other. “Come, my dear sir,” said Grounsell, coaxingly; “pray be good enough to explain that I want these medicines for a sick friend, who is now at the hotel here, dangerously ill of gout.” “Podagra gout!” exclaimed Hans, with sudden animation, “and dese are de cure for gout?” “They will, I hope, be of service against it.” “You shall have dem Saar on one condition. That ist, you will visit anoder sick man mit gout an Englessman, too verh ill verb sick; and no rich you understan'.” “Yes, yes; I understand perfectly; I'll see him with pleasure. Tell this worthy man to make up these for me, and I 'll go along with you now.” “Gut! verh good,” said Hans, as in a few words of German he expressed to the apothecary that he might venture to transgress the law in the present case when the season was over, and no one to be the wiser. As Hans issued forth to show the way, he never ceased to insist upon the fact that the present was not a case for a fee, and that the doctor should well understand the condition upon which his visit was to be paid; and still inveighing on this theme, he arrived at the house where the Daltons dwelt. “Remember, too,” said Hans, “that, though they are poor, they are of guten stamm how say you, noble?” Grounsell listened with due attention to all Hanserl's cautions, following, not without difficulty, his strange and guttural utterances. “I will go before. Stay here,” said Hans, as they gained the landing-place; and so saying, he pushed open the door and disappeared. As Grounsell stood alone and in the dark, he wondered within himself what strange chances should have brought a fellow-countryman into this companionship, for there was something so grotesque in Hans's appearance and manner, that it routed all notion of his being admitted to any footing of friendly equality.