Yussuf the Guide | Page 7

and young Lawrence here
shall pay his; and I tell you what, sir, we three will have a thoroughly

good outing. We'll take it easy, and we'll travel just where you like, and
while you make notes, Lawrence here and I will fish and run about and
catch butterflies, eh? Hang it, I haven't caught a butterfly these three or
four and thirty years, and I think it's time I had a try. Eh, what are you
laughing at, sir?"
Lawrence Grange's laugh was low and feeble, but it brightened up his
sad face, and was contagious, for it made the professor smile as well.
The cold stern look passed away, and he held out his hand to the
lawyer.
"Agreed, sir," he said. "If the doctor gives his consent, we will all three
go, and, please Heaven, we will restore our young friend here his health
and strength."
"Agreed, sir; with the doctor's consent or without," cried the lawyer,
grasping the extended hand. "By George, we must begin to make our
preparations at once! and as for the doctor--Oh, here he is!"
For there was a double knock, and directly after Mrs Dunn, appearing
very much agitated, ushered in the doctor, who did not look quite so
cool as he did when he left.
"Oh!" he ejaculated, "I was afraid from Mrs Dunn's manner that
something was wrong."
"No, doctor, nothing," said the lawyer. "We only want to ask you what
you think of our young friend here being taken to spend the winter in
Turkey."
"Admirable!" said the doctor, "if it could be managed."
"Oh, Doctor Shorter!" wailed Mrs Dunn, "I thought you would stop this
mad plan."
"There, madam, there!" cried the lawyer; "what did I say?"
"But he is not fit to move," cried Mrs Dunn, while the boy's cheeks

were flushed, and his eyes wandered eagerly from speaker to speaker.
"Only with care," said the doctor. "I should not take a long sea trip, I
think; but cross to Paris, and then go on gently, stopping where you
pleased, to Brindisi, whence the voyage would be short."
"The very thing!" cried the lawyer, giving one emphatic blow with his
nose. "What do you say, professor?"
"It is the plan I had arranged if I had gone alone," was the reply; "and I
think if Doctor Shorter will furnish us with the necessary medicines--"
"He requires change more than medicines," said the doctor. "Care
against exertion, and--there, your own common sense will tell you what
to do."
"Doctor! doctor! doctor!" sobbed Mrs Dunn; "I didn't think it of you.
What's to become of me?"
"You, madam?" replied the doctor. "You can read and write letters to
our young friend here, and thank Heaven that he has friends who will
take him in charge and relieve him from the risk of another winter in
our terrible climate."
"Hear, hear!" and "No, no!" cried the lawyer. "Doctor Shorter, ours is
not a bad climate, and I will not stand here and listen to a word against
it. Look at me, sir! Thirty years in Sergeant's Inn--fog, rain, snow, and
no sunshine; and look at me, sir--look at me!"
"My dear sir," said the doctor smiling, "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