He took to going down to the town, himself, to
purchase provisions; and, so far as possible, prepared these himself.
He procured two or three monkeys, animals which he held in horror, and
offered them a portion of everything that came on the table, before he
placed it before his master.
Charlie at first protested against this, as his dinner became cold by
waiting; but Tim had an oven prepared, and ordered dinner half an hour
before the time fixed by his master. Each dish as brought in was,
after a portion had been given to a monkey, placed in the oven, and
thus half an hour was given to allow the poison to work. This was done
without Charlie's knowledge, the oven being placed in the anteroom,
and the dishes thence brought in, in regular order, by the body
servant, whom even Tim allowed to be devoted to his master.
One day, Charlie was just sitting down to his soup, when Tim ran in.
"For the love of Heaven, Mr. Charles, don't put that stuff to your
mouth. It's pisoned, or, at any rate, if it isn't, one of the other
dishes is."
"Poisoned, Tim! Nonsense, man. You are always thinking of poisonings
and plots."
"And it's lucky for your honor that I am," Tim said. "Jist come into
the next room, and look at the monkeys.
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