"Of course," murmured Benjamin Wright, "if I g-get well, it needn't
hold, you know."
After that he seemed to sleep a little, until, his eyes still closed,
he said, "The boy slapped my face. So it's all right."
Samuel started up from his chair at the bedside, shocked and
protesting.
"Gad-a-mercy!" said Benjamin Wright, fretfully, opening his eye and
looking at him--"that makes us square! Don't you see?"
There was a long silence. Once Dr. Lavendar spoke to him, and once
William King touched his wrist, but he seemed to sleep. Then abruptly,
and quite clearly, he spoke: "'Crito, I owe a cock to Aesculapius'.... Lavendar?"
"Yes, Benjamin?"
"The debt is paid. Hey? I got the receipt."
"He is wandering," said Samuel. "Father, what do you want?"
But he did not speak again.