When he came about half-way, he whistled; and when he arrived at the end, he frowned hard; and squeezed his lips together till the red disappeared altogether, and he looked again at the back of the book, and then turned it round, once more reading the last line over with a severe expression.
'And so you actually swallowed this--this devil's dose, Sir, did you ?' demanded Sturk.
'I--I believe he did, some of it; but I warned him, I did, upon my honour! Now, tell him, did I not warn you, my dear lieutenant, not to thwallow,' interposed little Puddock, who began to grow confoundedly agitated; but Sturk, who rather liked shocking and frightening people, and had a knack of making bad worse, and an alacrity in waxing savage without adequate cause, silenced him with-- 'I p-pity you, Sir,' and 'pity' shot like a pellet from his lips.

'Why the deuce will you dabble in medicine, Sir?
Do you think it's a thing to be learnt in an afternoon out of the bottom of an old cookery-book ?' 'Cookery-book! excuse me, Dr.Sturk,' replied Puddock offended.

'I'm given to underthtand, Sir, it's to be found in Culpepper.' 'Culpepper!' said Sturk, viciously.

'Cull-_poison_--you have peppered him to a purpose, I promise you! How much of it, pray, Sir (to O'Flaherty,) have you got in your stomach ?' 'Tell him, Puddock,' said O'Flaherty, helplessly.
'Only a trifle I assure you,' extenuated Puddock (I need not spell his lisp), 'in a little muslin bag, about the size of the top joint of a lady's little finger.' 'Top joint o' the devil!' roared O'Flaherty, bitterly, rousing himself; 'I tell you, Dr.Sturk, it was as big as my thumb, and a miracle it did not choke me.' 'It may do that job for you yet, Sir,' sneered the doctor with a stern disgust.

'I dare say you feel pretty hot here ?' jerking his finger into his stomach.
'And--and--and--_what_ is it ?--is it--do you think it's anything -- anyways--_dangerous_ ?' faltered poor O'Flaherty.
'Dangerous!' responded Sturk, with an angry chuckle--indeed, he was specially vindictive against lay intruders upon the mystery of his craft; 'why, yes--ha,--ha!--just maybe a little.