“He must be astonished,” said Mr. Woodburn, “at the exact truth of his dream. I shall be for ever obliged to him for the effect of it.”
“Oh,” said Thorsby, “you should have seen him blush the other day in court, where we were sitting together, when the judge began asking about it. And when he asked whether the gentleman was called Bunyan! Frank is rather afraid that sobriquet may stick to him; but no matter, I can see he will have his consolations. I don’t know when I have enjoyed myself so much as the other evening when, after dinner with us, he, I, and Letty put our feet on the fender, and got into a great talk on old times. The doctor gave us some touches out of his apprentice days, that were regular fun. You know that great fellow, Surgeon Green, who rides this way sometimes on a great dark bay horse. Frank was apprentice to him, and of all the precious cowards, he is the primest. One night, Frank said he came to his chamber-door, and said in a whisper, ‘Get up, Frank, directly; there are thieves in the house! they are in the garret—come in through the skylight, no doubt. Up in a minute!’ Frank tumbled out all in a tremble, got his clothes on in the dark, after putting his arm first into one pocket and then into another, instead of into the sleeves, shaking all over like a man with an ague. When he got into the passage, there stood Green, and said, in a scared whisper, ‘Hark! they are in the garret amongst the bottles!’—(they kept all their stock of physic-bottles there)—‘Don’t you hear them? There! down goes a lot more! Run up, Frank, and see how many of them there are.’
“‘No, sir,’ said Frank, ‘you had better go. They would not make a mouthful of me; but you’re so strong.’
“‘No,’ said Green, ‘go this instant, and I’ll stop them here if they offer to come down.’
“He struck a light, and gave Frank a candle, and said, ‘Just look in, and see who is there, and then lock the door outside, if you can.’
“Frank went trembling up; the candle wagged about in his hand as if he had been switching about a whip. His heart was in his mouth every time he heard a fresh crash amongst the bottles. At length, he was at the door, but he was too much afraid to open it. ‘Quick! Quick!’ said his master from below, in a wild, loud whisper. Frank pushed open the door. Out went his candle with a strong wind, but not before he saw the cause of all the alarm—their great tom-cat, who had been shut up in the room, and was trying to find a way out, dart out of the door, and down the stairs.
“‘There! he is coming!’ shouted Frank, and the next moment he heard Dr. Green’s chamber-door slammed to, and the key turned inside. Frank sat down on the top step of the stairs, and laughed outrageously.”
“What a coward must that Green be!” said Mr. Woodburn.
“Another time, Green called up Frank, and said he was sure thieves were not only in the house this time, but they were murdering the old cook; he could hear her groans. ‘Run, then!’ said Frank; ‘my dear sir, don’t let her be murdered!’
“‘No,’ said Green, ‘do you run up, Frank. You’re much less than I am. If they fired at me, they could not possibly miss me. There, run up, there’s a good fellow. And here’s a pistol for you. Shoot the first rogue you see, without mercy.’