Jack at Sea | Page 3

out. There, I am right, Jack. You are not well."
"Doctor Instow, Sir John," said a servant, entering.
"Humph! lost no time," muttered the baronet. "Where is he, Edward?"
"In the drawing-room, Sir John."
"I'll come. No; show him in here."

"Father," whispered the lad excitedly, and a hectic spot showed in each
cheek, "why has Doctor Instow come here?"
"Because I sent for him, my boy."
"But not to see me?" said the lad excitedly. "Indeed I am quite well."
"No, you are not, boy. Yes, he has come to see you, and try to set you
right, so speak out to him like a man."
At that moment steps were heard crossing the polished oak floor of the
great hall, and directly after a keen-eyed, vigorous-looking man of
about six-and-thirty entered the room in a quick, eager way.
CHAPTER TWO.
DOCTOR INSTOW'S PRESCRIPTION.
"How are you?" he cried, rather boisterously, to Sir John, shaking
hands warmly. "Well! no need to ask. And how are you, my Admirable
Crichton?" he said, turning to Jack to continue the hand-shaking. "Well,
no need to ask here either."
"No; I'm quite well, Doctor Instow."
"What! didn't they teach you to tell the truth at Daneborough, Jack
Meadows?"
"Yes, of course," said the lad sharply.
"Then why don't you tell it?" said the doctor.
"There, Jack, you see," said Sir John quickly.
"What! has he been saying that he is quite well?" cried the doctor.
"Yes; he persists in it, when--"
"Any one can see with half an eye that he is completely out of order."

"You hear, Jack?"
"Yes, father, I hear," said the boy; "but really I am quite, quite well."
"`Quite, quite well,'" said the doctor, laughing merrily, as he sank back
in his chair. "Never felt better in your life, eh, Jack? Haven't been so
well since I doctored you for measles, ten years ago, when I was a
young man, just come to Fernleigh, eh?"
"I do not see anything to laugh at, Doctor Instow," said the lad gravely.
"No? Well, I do, my dear boy--at the way in which you tell your
anxious father and his old friend that there is nothing the matter with
you, when the nature in you is literally shouting to every one who sees
you, `See how ill I am.'"
"Doctor Instow, what nonsense!" cried the lad.
"Indeed? Why, not ten minutes ago, as I drove towards the Hall, I met
the Rector, and what do you think he said?"
"I don't know," said Jack, fidgeting in his chair.
"Then I'll tell you, my lad. `Going to see young Jack?' he said. `I don't
know, but I expect so,' says your humble servant. `Well, I hope you are,
for I've felt quite concerned about his looks.'"
"But I can't help looking pale and delicate," cried Jack hurriedly.
"Plenty of other boys do."
"Of course they do; but in your case you can help it."
"But how?" said Jack fretfully.
"I'll tell you directly," said the doctor. "Look here, Meadows, am I to
speak out straight?"
"I beg that you will," said Sir John quickly. "I have sent for you
because I cannot go on like this. No disrespect to you, my dear Instow,

but I was thinking seriously of taking him up to some great specialist in
town."
"I'm very glad to hear you say so," cried the doctor. "If you had not,
before many days were over I should have sounded the alarm myself."
"Indeed!" cried Sir John.
"Yes; I should have presumed on our old intimacy, and told you what I
thought, and that it was time something was done. We'll take him up to
Doctor Lorimer, or Sir Humphrey Dean, or one of the other medical
big-wigs. You sent for me, then, to give you my opinion. Here it is
straight. It is the right thing to do, and before you start, I'll write down
my idea of the proper course of treatment, and I guarantee that either of
the fashionable physicians will prescribe the same remedies."
"Then," said Sir John eagerly, "you think you can see what is the matter
with him?"
"Think? I'm sure, sir."
"I am glad of it, for I had decided not to take him up to a physician."
"Thank you, father," said Jack, giving him a grateful look. "There
really is no need."
"Because," continued Sir John firmly, "I thought the matter over,"--and
he talked at his son--"and I said to myself that it is impossible that a
London doctor can in a visit or two understand the case half so well as
the medical man who has known and attended him from a child."
"Thank you, Meadows," said the doctor warmly. "I thank you for your
confidence. I do not want to boast of my