Do please to go to him, and do something." "There is nothing to be done, miss," Stixon answered, with calm resignation; "he is bound to stay so for sixteen hours, and then he eases off again.

But bless my heart, miss--excuse me in your presence--his lordship is thoroughly used to it.

It is my certain knowledge that for seven years now he has never had seven minutes free from pain--seven minutes all of a heap, I mean.

Some do say, miss, as the Lord doeth every thing according to His righteousness, that the reason is not very far to seek." I asked him what he meant, though I ought, perhaps, to have put a stop to his loquacity; and he pretended not to hear, which made me ask him all the more.
"A better man never lived than my lord," he answered, with a little shock at my misprision; "but it has been said among censoorous persons that nobody ever had no luck as came in suddenly to a property and a high state of life on the top of the heads of a family of seven." "What a poor superstition!" I cried, though I was not quite sure of its being a wicked one.

"But what is your master's malady, Stixon?
Surely there might be something done to relieve his violent pain, even if there is no real cure for it ?" "No, miss, nothing can be done.