The latter, more practised, was more
successful, and now returned the open bottle to the preacher.
"Take from it first, the dose which relieves thee, Alfred Stevens,
that I may know how much will avail in my own case;" and he watched
curiously, while Stevens, applying the flask to his lips, drew from
it a draught, which, in western experience of benefits, would have
been accounted a very moderate potion. This done, he handed it back
to his companion, who, about to follow his example, asked him:--
"And by what name, Alfred Stevens, do they call this medicine, the
goodly effect of which thou holdst to be so great?"
Stevens did not immediately reply--not until the preacher had applied
the bottle to his mouth, and he could see by the distension of his
throat, that he had imbibed a taste, at least, of the highly-lauded
medicine. The utterance then, of the single word--"Brandy"--was
productive of an effect no less ludicrous in the sight of the youth,
than it was distressing to the mind of his worthy companion. The
descending liquor was ejected with desperate effort from the throat
which it had fairly entered--the flask flung from his hands--and
with choking and gurgling accents, startling eyes, and reddening
visage, John Cross turned full upon his fellow-traveller, vainly
trying to repeat, with the accompanying horror of expression which
he felt, the single spellword, which had produced an effect so
powerful.
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