The landlady looked at him, and saw his face was flushed and swollen; and he complained of pain in all his bones. She opened the windows, and asked him would he have a doctor sent for. He shook his head contemptuously.
However, towards evening, he became delirious, and raved and tossed, and rolled his head as if it was an intolerable weight he wanted to get rid of.
The females of the family were for sending at once for a doctor; but the prudent Harry demurred.
"Tell me, first, who is to pay the fee," said he. "I've seen a fine coat with the pockets empty, before to-day."
The women set up their throats at him with one accord, each after her kind.
"Out, fie!" said Mercy; "are we to do naught for charity?"
"Why, there's his horse, ye foolish man," said Mrs. Vint.
"Ay, ye are both wiser than me," said Harry Vint, ironically. And soon after that he went out softly.
The next minute he was in the sick man's room, examining his pockets. To his infinite surprise he found twenty gold pieces, a quantity of silver, and some trinkets.
He spread them all out on the table, and gloated on them with greedy eyes. They looked so inviting, that he said to himself they would be safer in his custody than in that of a delirious person, who was even now raving incoherently before him, and could not see what he was doing. He therefore proceeded to transfer them to his own care.