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'that a cat with a shaved tail be by no means comely to look upon.""

Here he was interrupted by an old woman with her jaw tied up, entering at the door; at the sight of which, he let down the cat very quickly, and with an exceeding innocent face, advanced up to her.

"Where be Master Lather?" cried the dame in right piteous accents, as with a shrewish countenance of exceeding uneasiness, she sat herself down on a chair, swaying backwards and forwards, and making such a moaning as was quite moving to hear.

"He be out, good dame, and will tarry long, doubtless, seeing that he be gone to set a marvellous bad dislocation," replied Harry Daring, with a look as grave as that of his master. "But, if I can do you any service, believe me, I shall be infinitely glad on't."

"Oh, I have the cursedest tooth that ever plagued a miserable old woman!" said she, rocking herself to and fro, and moaning worse than ever.

"In the extracting of teeth lieth my particular skilfullness," added the boy, "for in that have I had such practice as would astonish you mightily to hear. Indeed I am so cunning at it that master leaveth all the tooth-drawing to me, saying, to the customers, that there be not so apt an apprentice in the whole city. Nay, I do assure you, take it as

you list, I have arrived at such perfection in the art, that I could take out every tooth in your head and you shall know it not; which remindeth me of what hath been said on this subject by the learned Podalirius: fol de riddle ido, lillebullero, wriggledumfunnibus,' which, rightly translated, reads thus

he that can draw a tooth without pain, must needs be in famous request of those troubled with an aching jaw.'

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"Well, if you can talk Latin at your years, you must needs be exceeding clever,” remarked the old woman, SO I will let you take out my tooth, and here's a groat for you, if you promise to give me no pain in it."

"I will whip it out and you shall know nought of the matter," answered the apprentice, readily taking the money, well pleased at having so fine an opportunity for shewing off his skill. "Which be it, good dame?” enquired he, after he had got her to sit in the chair, and stood before her, looking gravely into her mouth, with the instrument in his hand.

"It be the last but two on the left side, in the under jaw," replied she. "But hurt me not, I pray you."

"Be assured I will hurt

you none, if you attend

to my directions," said the boy. "So, hold fast by the arms of the chair, else you must needs feel the pain."

"Ah!" screamed the old woman, seemingly at the very top of her voice, as she lifted up her hands to her jaw immediately he gave a wrench.

"There, now!" cried Harry Daring, looking monstrously displeased. "Did I not say you would feel pain if you held not fast to the chair? For is it not writ in Aristotle that there are two kinds of teeth, as harem scarem,' an easy tooth,' 'crinkum crankum,' an obstinate tooth;' and the latter kind have you, without a doubt."

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Well, well, I will be as quiet as I may," said she, putting down her hands, but looking woefully frightened. "Yet 'twas a most awful pain. Now hurt me not again good youth, I pray you."

"Believe me I would not hurt a hair of your head, for any money," replied the apprentice, with a very touching earnestness; "but hold fast,-I can promise nothing if you let go the chair."

"Oh!" shrieked the dame, louder and longer than at first; and caught hold of his hands as he was a tugging with all his might.

"A murrain on you," exclaimed the boy, stamping as if in a great rage, “did ever any one see the like?" I was having it out as easily as is the drawing of a cork from a bottle of Ippocras, and without pain enough to hurt a fly, when you let go the chair, and made the pain come on the instant. 'Slife it be enough to put a saint in a passion; for truly is it said by Esculapius, Syrupus croci scru

pulum dimidium aquæ puræ quantum sufficit:' the which doth mean,-she that will let go when she be told to hold fast, deserveth all she may get for her pains."

"If it was not for the Latin, I should doubt you were so skilled as you have said,” remarked his patient, very dolefully; "but the Latin be a wonderful comfort. You shall have at it once more, and for the last time; for in truth I can endure no such horrible pain as the last."

"Hold fast, then; and now or never," cried the young barber, as he put his whole might and main into one desperate tug.

"Oh! oh! murder! Oh! Lord ha' mercy on my sins! Oh! murder! murder! murder!" screamed the old woman, with all the strength of her lungs, as she tried to hold his hands; but this time he knit his brows fiercely, and twisted at the instrument as if for his life; and in spite of the struggles and shriekings of his patient, he desisted not till he wrenched the tooth right out upon the floor.

"Here it be, dame," exclaimed he, joyfully, as soon as he saw it fall, "and o' my life 'tis a famous one." But the other seemed to think that her jaw had been torn out; for with her hands up to her face, she set a writhing and twisting her body about the room, as if she was in her last agony.

"Oh! I be a dying! my hour be come; I must needs give up the ghost!" cried she, very piteously.

66 Keep a good heart-you will be well enough soon," replied he, as he was a wiping of his instru

ment.

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"Indeed, 'twas a most awful scrunch," added his patient, looking in most deplorable fashion; methought my head was a going clean off, and you was a pulling of it up by the roots :-but where be the tooth ?"

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"There, dame," he answered, pointing to where it lay; at the which she hastened to pick it up.

"Oh! you murderous villain !" shouted out the old woman, her face all of a sudden becoming livid with rage, as she looked upon the tooth: "you have pulled out the only two sound teeth I had in my head, and left the aching one in."

"What, have I pulled out two?" exclaimed the boy, as if mightily pleased; "why, what excellent luck have I! But you must needs pay me the other groat, seeing that you bargained only for one." "I pay thee a groat, caitiff!" cried she, in a worse rage than "I'll ever, see thee hanged first !— And two such fine teeth, too, that would have lasted me a good score years. Oh! 'tis not to be borne.”

"Why thou shalt have all the less toothaches for it," said the apprentice, in a wonderful consoling voice; "I warrant they shall never ache; for is it not writ in Aristotle "

"Drat Harry's total and thee too!" screamed the other, looking as fiercely as if she was about to

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