The result was that, between the two, they made such a fricassee of vowels and consonants that it was enough to turn one's brain.
The next morning, on waking, I heard a voice from the tombs.

It was the doctor solemnly pronouncing himself a dead man.

He was sitting up, with both hands clasped over his forehead, and his pale face a thousand times paler than ever.
"That infernal stuff has murdered me!" he cried.

"Heavens! my head's all wheels and springs, like the automaton chess-player! What's to be done, Paul?
I'm poisoned." But, after drinking a herbal draught concocted by our host, and eating a light meal, at noon, he felt much better; so much so that he declared himself ready to continue our journey.
When we came to start, the Yankee's boots were missing; and, after a diligent search, were not to be found.

Enraged beyond measure, their proprietor said that Varvy must have stolen them; but, considering his hospitality, I thought this extremely improbable; though to whom else to impute the theft I knew not.