CHAPTER VIII.

THE VILLAGE DOCTOR.

NE of the hardest workers in Samplestead

was Mr Pills-Dr Pills he was always called the village doctor and the Union doctor as well. He was a little man, with a very large family, and a very small horse. His practice amongst patients who couldn't pay him, or could only pay him very little, was overwhelming; but the few people in and about Samplestead who could have paid him handsomely had a knack of very seldom falling ill, and when they did fall ill, although they might send for Mr Pills as a make-shift, he had soon to give place to their own doctors from the market-town-they were too proud to be doctored by a man who doctored paupers.

Dr Pills's little horse was looked after by a funny

little boy groom, who rode out with his master in his shabby little gig. Dr Pills's little groom wore a tall old chimney-pot hat and a second-hand and very seedy metal-buttoned man's great-coat, which, at any rate, covered his legs nicely in winter-time, since it was about half a foot too long for him. That was the whole of the little groom's livery, but he was very proud of it, and folded his arms and squared his elbows like a grown-up groom as he sat beside his master. The squire's livery servants and the town-doctors' smart grooms, however, used to make great fun of Dr Pills's threadbare groomkin.

But Hoity Toity was not ashamed to ride out with him. Hoity Toity almost always made a third in the gig when Dr Pills drove his rounds, and sat behind or in front of the doctor when he · rode his rounds, and the small horse did not feel his weight at all, but went all the faster for having to drag three instead of two, and to carry double. And Hoity Toity went with Dr Pills when he went on foot to his patients.

The doctor did not approve of walking-sticks—

he was a plain, springy little man, and said that gouty old men and puppies were the only people who should carry them. For all that, however, he was often indebted to Hoity Toity's walking-stick. When his strength began to flag in his long walks, sly Hoity Toity used to push him on from behind with Easum. In all kinds of weather Hoity Toity was out with Dr Pills, but I will give you an account of one of the cases they visited together in summer.

The little horse was pulled up at Dame Damson's gate. Out of the little gig leaped the little groom and rushed to the little horse's head, just as if it were a most frisky animal, sure to bolt if not most vigilantly watched. The little groom pushed his foot against the little horse's fore hoofs, to make him stand out well, as he had seen the big groom of the most swellish doctor in the markettown do to the swell doctor's big brougham-horse. This doctor was so great a swell that he had a supply of waistcoats which enabled him to put a fresh one on every day for a quarter of a yearthe variety, he said, was both soothing and stimu

lating to his patients-he came into a room as noiselessly as a cat, and talked in a silky purrbut I doubt whether he really was half so good a doctor as white-seamed, rough-and-ready Dr Pills, who only spoke in a whisper when it was necessary for him so to speak, and who thought himself lucky to get shillings for many an hour's hard work, whilst the swell doctor pocketed guineas for two or three minutes' chat-pocketed them with an air which seemed to say

"My good sir, or madam, why are you indelicate enough to bore me with the coin of the realm? I suppose I must take it, since you proffer it-otherwise I should wound your feelings. But if I were really to demand payment for my services, you would have to pass through the Bankruptcy Court. Just think of the money that has been spent on my education-of my skill, my reputation, my fascinating manners-of my condescension in bringing all these advantages to bear on the case of so insignificant a person as yourself."

Meantime Dr Pills and Hoity Toity were hunting up Dame Damson. They found her in her