THE HYPOCHONDRIAC.

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large fire, in an elbow-chair, rolled in a chintzdressing-gown, with his night-cap on, and his feetpushed into a pair of red-morocco slippers linedwith fur. On a small table near him, lay hiswatch, six apothecary's phials, full of medicine,one of which, by the label, was to be taken everyfourth hour, and a pill-box containing half a dozenpills. On the same table, also, was a pair ofscales, in which I perceived he had been weigh-ing two ounces of biscuit; and a graduated pintmeasure, which contained one ounce and a half ofdistilled water. Tom rose and shook me warmlyby the hand as I entered the room; but his eyehad lost the animation it displayed when we firstrecognised one another in the park; and he wasmore emaciated than I had anticipated I shouldfind him. " I am truly grieved to see you in thisplight, my dear friend !" said I, glancing my eyeupon the garniture of the little table; " what areyour complaints 1" " Ah !" replied he, forcing afaint smile, " there's the rub!—Were my com-plaints but known, there would be no difficulty incuring them. At least, so says Dr. Frogsfoot, who,however, assures me that it is a gastric affection;