Peterkin ungratefully said it tasted of anything but coffee. The
chemist was not discouraged. He put in a little belladonna and
atropine, some granulated hydrogen, some potash, and a very little
antimony, finishing off with a little pure carbon. But still Mrs.
Peterkin was not satisfied.
The chemist said that all he had done ought to have taken out the
salt. The theory remained the same, although the experiment had
failed. Perhaps a little starch would have some effect. If not, that
was all the time he could give. He should like to be paid, and go.
They were all much obliged to him, and willing to give him $1.37
1/2 in gold. Gold was now 2.69 3/4, so Mr. Peterkin found in the
newspaper. This gave Agamemnon a pretty little sum. He sat
himself down to do it. But there was the coffee! All sat and
thought awhile, till Elizabeth Eliza said, "Why don't we go to the
herb-woman?" Elizabeth Eliza was the only daughter. She was
named after her two aunts,Elizabeth, from the sister of her father;
Eliza, from her mother's sister. Now, the herb-woman was an old
woman who came round to sell herbs, and knew a great deal.
They all shouted with joy at the idea of asking her, and Solomon
John and the younger children agreed to go and find her too. The
herb-woman lived down at the very end of the street; so the boys
put on their india-rubber boots again, and they set off. It was a
long walk through the village, but they came at last to the
herb-woman's house, at the foot of a high hill.
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