g
enough to have a will of his own, he insisted on having his very
medicine mixed with brandy; and in the hours of the doctor's absence,
he was too often successful in his attempts.

"It does not much matter," Dr Thorne had said to Lady Scatcherd. "Do
what you can to keep down the quantity, but do not irritate him by
refusing to obey. It does not much signify now." So Lady Scatcherd
still administered the alcohol, and he from day to day invented
little schemes for increasing the amount, over which he chuckled with
ghastly laughter.

Two or three times during these days Sir Roger essayed to speak
seriously to his son; but Louis always frustrated him. He either got
out of the room on some excuse, or made his mother interfere on the
score that so much talking would be bad for his father. He already
knew with tolerable accuracy what was the purport of his father's
will, and by no means approved of it; but as he could not now hope
to induce his father to alter it so as to make it more favourable to
himself, he conceived that no conversation on matters of business
could be of use to him.

"Louis," said Sir Roger, one afternoon to his son; "Louis, I have not
done by you as I ought to have done--I know that now."

"Nonsense, governor; never mind about that now; I shall do well
enough, I dare say. Besides, it isn't too late; you can make it
twenty-three years instead of twenty-five, if you like it."

"I do not mean as to money, Louis. There are things besides money
which a father ought to look to."

"Now, father, don't fret yourself--I'm all right; you may be sure of
that."

"Louis, it's that accursed brandy--it's that that I'm afraid of: you
see me here, my boy, how I'm lying here now."

"Don't you be annoying yourself, governor; I'm all right--quite
right; and as for you, why, you'll be up and about yourself in
another month or so."

"I shall never be off this bed, my boy, till I'm carried into my
coffin, on those chairs there. But I'm not thinking of myself, Louis,
but you; think what you may have before you if you can't avoid that
accursed bottle."

"I'm all right, governor; right as a trivet. It's very little I take,
except at an odd time or so."

"Oh, Louis! Louis!"

"Come, father, cheer up; this sort of thing isn't the thing for you
at all. I wonder where mother is: she ought to be here with the
broth; just let me go, and I'll see for her."

The father understood it all. He saw that it was now much beyo