miling, "you know the old saying about
one man's meat being another man's poison? Suppose I modify my remark,
and say terrible climate for our young friend. You are decided, then,
to take him?"

"Certainly," said the professor.

"To Turkey?"

"Turkey in Asia, sir, where I propose to examine the wonderful ruins of
the ancient Greek and Roman cities."

"And hunt up treasures of all kinds, eh?" said the doctor smiling.

"I hope we may be fortunate enough to discover something worthy of the
search."

"But, let me see--the climate; great heat in the plains; intense cold in
the mountains; fever and other dangers. You must be careful, gentlemen.
Brigands--real brigands of the fiercest kind--men who mean heavy
ransoms, or chopped-off heads. Then you will have obstinate Turks,
insidious and tricking Greeks, difficulties of travel. No child's play,
gentlemen."

"The more interest, sir," replied the professor, "the greater change."

"Well," said the doctor, "I shall drop in every day till you start, and
be able to report upon our friend's health. Now, good day."

The doctor left the room with Mrs Dunn, and as he went out Mr Burne
blew a flourish, loud enough to astonish the professor, who wondered how
it was that so much noise could be made by such a little man, till he
remembered the penetrating nature of the sounds produced by such tiny
creatures as crickets, and then he ceased to be surprised.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A VERBAL SKIRMISH.

It seemed wonderful: one day in London, then the luggage all ticketed,
the young invalid carefully carried by a couple of porters to a
first-class carriage, and seated in a snug corner, when one of them
touched his cap and exclaimed:

"Glad to see you come back, sir, strong enough to carry me. Pore young
chap!" he said to his mate; "it do seem hard at his time o' life."

"Hang the fellow!" cried the lawyer; "so it does at any time of life. I
don't want to be carried by a couple of porters."

Then there was a quick run down to Folkestone, with the patient tenderly
watched by his two companions, the professor looking less eccentric in
costume, for he had trusted to his tailor to make him some suitable
clothing; but the lawyer looking more so, for he had insisted upon
retaining his everyday-life black frock-coat and check trousers, the
only change he had made being the adoption of a large leghorn straw hat
with a black ribbon; on the whole as unsuitable a costume as he could