“Well,” said the doctor, turning to Mrs. Preston, when Oscar got through, “what does all this mean?”

“I know not; you must ask him,” replied Mrs. Preston.

The same question, put to Oscar, brought from him a reluctant confession of the last night’s folly.  When he had concluded, the doctor arose, and taking his hand, said: 

“I will bid you good-bye.  It’s of no use for me to attend upon you any longer, if you abuse my confidence in this way.  If you want to kill yourself I won’t stand in your way.  Good morning.”

Before Oscar recovered from his astonishment, the doctor had reached the entry.  Addressing his mother who was following him, he said: 

“Call him back, mother—­tell him I won’t do so again—­call him back.”

The doctor heard the message, and returned.

“I will consent to prescribe for you only on one condition,” he said; “and that is, that you will agree to do precisely as I tell you to.  You must take the medicines I order, and eat only what I tell you to, or I will have nothing more to do with you.  Do you agree to that?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Oscar.

The doctor resumed his seat, and felt the patient’s pulse.  He had not yet got entirely over his irritation, and, turning to Mrs. Preston, he remarked: 

“If the patient was a little stronger, my first prescription would be a smart external application of birch or ratan; but, as it is, we shall have to omit that for the present.  You need not think you will escape punishment, however,” he continued, turning to Oscar.  “This scrape of yours will put you back more than one week and if you are not careful you may never get your health again.  You may trifle with the doctor, but you can’t trifle with the lung fever.”

The doctor then gave directions as to Oscar’s diet and medicine, and departed, but not until he had again warned him against leaving the room without his mother’s consent, or eating any articles forbidden by her.

Oscar found no opportunity after this to evade the commands of the doctor, had he been so disposed, for some one was always with him by day and night.  Still, his recovery seemed to have been checked very much by his relapse, and the doctor’s skill was taxed pretty severely to bring the fever to a favorable termination.  As it was, his attempt was not fully successful; for the fever, in spite of all he could do, left behind it a cough, and a weakness of the lungs, which gave Oscar’s parents no little alarm at times.

For a fortnight after his midnight supper, Oscar allowed his mother and the doctor to do just as they pleased with him.  He yielded to their wishes, and their orders were law to him.  At the end of that time the doctor discontinued his regular visits.  Oscar was now able to go out-doors a little in very pleasant weather; but his cough rendered prudence still very necessary.  His confinement, however, was daily growing more irksome, and sometimes he disregarded the positive commands of his parents by going out when the weather was unsuitable.