"From London," was my reply.
"How do the crops look up above, for down here the turnips seem to have failed altogether? Dry seasons won't do for turnips."
I replied that I really could not satisfy him on that point, as it was dark when we passed.
"Very true—I had forgotten that," replied he. "However, the barleys look well; but perhaps you don't understand farming?"
I replied in the negative, and the conversation was kept up for two or three hours, in the course of which I mentioned the quack doctor, and his strange departure.
"That is the fellow who cured so many people at ——," replied he; and the conversation then turned upon his profession and mode of life, which Timothy and I agreed must be very amusing. "We shall meet him again, I dare say," replied the man. "Would you know him?"
"I think so, indeed," replied Timothy, laughing.
"Yes, and so you would think that you would know a guinea from a halfpenny, if I put it into your hands," replied the man. "I do not wish to lay a bet, and win your money; but I tell you, that I will put either the one or the other into each of your hands, and if you hold it fast for one minute, and shut your eyes during that time, you will not be able to tell me which it is that you have in it."
"That I am sure I would," replied Tim; and I made the same assertion.
"Well, I was taken in that way at a fair, and lost ten shillings by the wager; now, we'll try whether you can tell or not." He took out some money from his pocket, which he selected without our seeing it, put a coin into the hand of each of us, closing our fists over it, "and now," said he, "keep your eyes shut for a minute."