had ordered lunch in a private sitting-room, thinking that the Major
would prefer it to the coffee-room; but, as it turned out, he was in no
state to appear. They left him asleep, and the ship's doctor sat in
the seat that had been prepared for his patient, and made the meal
as tolerable to us both as it could be. He was an odd, old-fashioned
fellow, but as true a gentleman as ever breathed.

"Now," he said, when lunch was over, "you and I must have a talk
together, Mr. Vaughan, and I will help you to understand your father's
case."

I made a movement to go, but sat down again at Derrick's request. I
think, poor old fellow, he dreaded being alone, and knowing that I
had seen his father at the worst, thought I might as well hear all
particulars.

"Major Vaughan," continued the doctor, "has now been under my care for
some weeks, and I had some communication with the regimental surgeon
about his case before he sailed. He is suffering from an enlarged
liver, and the disease has been brought on by his unfortunate habit
of over-indulgence in stimulants." I could almost have smiled, so very
gently and considerately did the good old man veil in long words
the shameful fact. "It is a habit sadly prevalent among our
fellow-countrymen in India; the climate aggravates the mischief, and
very many lives are in this way ruined. Then your father was also
unfortunate enough to contract rheumatism when he was camping out in the
jungle last year, and this is increasing on him very much, so that his
life is almost intolerable to him, and he naturally flies for relief to
his greatest enemy, drink. At all costs, however, you must keep him from
stimulants; they will only intensify the disease and the sufferings, in
fact they are poison to a man in such a state. Don't think I am a bigot
in these matters; but I say that for a man in such a condition as this,
there is nothing for it but total abstinence, and at all costs your
father must be guarded from the possibility of procuring any sort of
intoxicating drink. Throughout the voyage I have done my best to
shield him, but it was a difficult matter. His servant, too, is not
trustworthy, and should be dismissed if possible."

"Had he spoken at all of his plans?" asked Derrick, and his voice
sounded strangely unlike itself.

"He asked me what place in England he had better settle down in," said
the doctor, "and I strongly recommended him to try Bath. This seemed to
please him, and if he is