"Liebig!" broke out John. "Oh, please take some. There's nothing up there but old goat, and nothing to drink but milk and lemonade, like beastly hair-oil; and Jock hates milk."
"Never fear," said Dr. Medlicott; "Liebig is going, and a packet of tea. Mrs. Evelyn does not send us out unprovided. If you eat your soup like a good boy, you may then ride up--not walk--unless you wish to be on your mother's hands too."
"She's my aunt; but it is all the same. Tell her I'm coming."
"I shall go with you, doctor," said Cecil. "I must know about Brownlow."
"Much good you'll do him! But I'd rather leave this fellow in Fordham's charge than yours."
So Johnny had no choice but to obey, growling a little that it was all nonsense, and he should be all right in five minutes, but that expectation continued, without being realised, for longer than Johnny knew. He awoke with a start to find the Liebig awaiting him; and Lord Fordham's eyes fixed on him, with (though neither understood it) the generous, though melancholy envy of an invalid youth for a young athlete.
"Have I been asleep?" he asked, looking at his watch. "Only ten minutes since I looked last? Well, now I am all right."
"You will be when you have eaten this," said Lord Fordham.
"There!" said he; "now I am ready for anything."
"Don't get up yet. I'll go and order a horse for you."
When Lord Fordham came back from doing so, he found his patient really fast asleep, and with a little colour coming into the pale cheeks. He stole back, bade that the pony should wait, went on writing his letter, and waited till one hour, two, three hours had passed, and at last the sleeper woke, greatly disgusted, willing to accept the bath which Lord Fordham advised him to take, and which made him quite himself again.
"You'll let me go now," he said. "I can walk as well as ever."
"You will be of more use now, if you ride," said Lord Fordham. "There, I hear our luncheon coming in. You must eat while the pony is coming round."
"If it won't lose time--thank you," said Johnny, recovered enough now to know how hungry he was, "But I ought not to have stayed away. My aunt has no one but me."
"And you can really help her?" said Lord Fordham, with some experience of his brother's uselessness.