The boy glanced in his father's lowering face and stopped short.

"And you--" began Sir James, and Mark's heart sank, for he felt that his
appeal was vain.

In fact, his words sank almost to a whisper as he went on, "I said I'd
ask you, father, if you would take him."

"Bah!" burst out Sir James angrily. "Unreasonable! Absurd!
Impossible! Do you mean to tell me that you wish me to saddle myself
upon this disastrous journey with a sick man, perhaps a dying man? Why,
boy, have you lost your senses? Do you mean to tell me that you would
like to take him with us when we are already provided--even supposing
that he was going to get better--provided, I say, with two excellent
servants, strong, healthy, and ready to help us through our troubles?
Answer me, sir. Don't sit staring at me in that idiotic way. Now then,
tell me--you first, Dean; you were in this hobble with your cousin.
Would you like to take him?"

"Yes, uncle," said Dean quietly.

"Pooh! That's your mother speaking, boy. Now you, Mark, if you are not
afraid to speak, as you said just now. Would you really like to take
him?"

"Yes, father; and I am sure if you saw the poor fellow you would feel
the same."

"Well," cried Sir James excitedly, "of all the--the--Here, doctor, I
have come, and I suppose I am to submit to--pooh!--there--it's this hot
weather--let's get away as soon as we can, doctor, and--here, I feel
sure that the boys have encountered some cunning impostor," and Sir
James stopped short, and wiped his forehead before continuing, "Here, I
say, Robertson, what about charity and one's fellow-creatures? And
don't we read somewhere about helping a lame dog over a stile?"

"Yes, Sir James," said the doctor, very quietly.

"To be sure, and I am quite certain that this heat makes me feel
horribly irritable. These boys take it all as coolly as--what do they
say?--as cucumbers. Nothing affects them."

The two lads stared at each other as they recalled their walk, and burst
into a half hysterical laugh.

"Why, uncle," cried Dean, "Mark's been horrid all day, and I haven't
been a bit better."

"I am glad to hear it, boy. Then there's some excuse for me. Well,
doctor, I suppose you had better go and see this fellow. I will trust
to your common sense. Here, stop. You boys, has this fellow anybody
here who will give him a character?"

"Yes," they exclaimed together; "the British Consul."

"Humph! Come, that sounds respectable.