Part 14 (2/2)
”Ho! How much lemon juice?”
”Winegla.s.s full, and filled up with spring water.”
Major Jollivet made an effort to sit up, but sank back again with a groan.
Joe might have smiled, but he did not. He could justly have said triumphantly: ”There, I knew you could not manage it!” but he calmly drew a chair to the side of the couch, stood the gla.s.s within reach of his father's hand, and then went behind his head, forced his arm under the pillow, lowered his brow so that he could b.u.t.t like a ram, and slowly and steadily raised the invalid's shoulders, keeping him upright till the draught had been taken and the gla.s.s set down.
”Bah! Horrible! Bitter as gall.”
”Lower away!” said Joe; and he drew softly back till the pillow was in its old place, and the Major uttered a sigh of relief.
”I say, dad, you're getting better,” said Joe, as he took away chair and gla.s.s after brus.h.i.+ng his disordered hair from his forehead.
”How dah you, sir!” cried the Major, ”when I'm in such a state of prostration!”
Joe laid his hand on the patient's forehead again, and nodded.
”Head's getting wet and cool, dad. You'll be right as a trivet again soon.”
”Worse than your poor mother--worse than your poor mother. You haven't a bit of feeling, boy. It's abominable.”
Joe took a sprayer, thrust it into the neck of the scent bottle, and blew an odorous vapour about the sufferer's head.
”Will you put that tomfool thing away, sir! You're never happy unless you're playing with it.”
”I say,” cried Joe, still without seeming to pay the slightest heed to his father's words--”what do you think, dad?”
”Think, sir? How can I think of anything but this wretched jungle fever. Oh, my bones, my bones!”
”Colonel Pendarve's going to open the old Ydoll mine.”
”Eh? What?” cried the Major, turning his head sharply. ”Say that again.”
”Captain Hardock got talking to me and Gwyn about it, and Gwyn told his father.”
”Told him what?”
”Sam Hardock said he was sure that there was plenty of tin in it, and that it was a pity for it to be there, and when the Colonel might make a fortune out of it.”
”And--and what did Pendarve say?” cried the Major, excitedly.
”Said it was all nonsense, I believe. Then Sam Hardock took me--me and Gwyn--to have a look, and Ydoll went down.”
”Look here, sir, I will not have you call Gwyn Pendarve by that idiotic nickname.”
”No, father. When he was half down the rope came undone, and he went down plash.”
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