Page:James Hopper--What happened in the night.djvu/195



HE weazened apothecary put on his mantle and his hat, wrapped his muffler thick about his thin, dry neck, placed his hand on the door-knob, and then turned his sharp nose abruptly upon the apprentice. "And see that you watch well," he snarled. "Sleep light, and keep an ear on the bell. There's much illness abroad; sleep light and with an ear volant!"

"Yes, master," answered Jean the apprentice, humbly.

The little old man's querulous note rose to a sudden fury. "Yes, but you don't!" he piped, shrilly. "You don't, you worthless one! You sleep and snore and snore and snore! As though I did not feed and house and clothe you! Three weeks ago last night Mother Gros came for spirits of camphor and rang and called and could not wake you—!"

"I slept too hard that night, master; it is true I slept too hard; but it won't happen again, it won't happen again," said the pale apprentice.

"See that it won't, see that it won't," pur-