“I know all about you, you know,” said the earl.  “Your grandmother Stoddard was a very old friend of my aunt’s.  You don’t remember Lady Jemima?”

“No,” said Crofts.  “I never had that honour.”

“An excellent old woman, and knew your grandmother Stoddard well.  You see, Gruffen has been attending us for I don’t know how many years; but upon my word—­” and then the earl stopped himself.

“It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good,” said Crofts, with a slight laugh.

“Perhaps it’ll blow me some good, for Gruffen never did me any.  The fact is this; I’m very well, you know,—­as strong as a horse.”

“You look pretty well.”

“No man could be better,—­not of my age.  I’m sixty, you know.”

“You don’t look as though you were ailing.”

“I’m always out in the open air, and that, I take it, is the best thing for a man.”

“There’s nothing like plenty of exercise, certainly.”

“And I’m always taking exercise,” said the earl.  “There isn’t a man about the place works much harder than I do.  And, let me tell you, sir, when you undertake to keep six or seven hundred acres of land in your own hand, you must look after it, unless you mean to lose money by it.”

“I’ve always heard that your lordship is a good farmer.”

“Well, yes; wherever the grass may grow about my place, it doesn’t grow under my feet.  You won’t often find me in bed at six o’clock, I can tell you.”

After this Dr Crofts ventured to ask his lordship as to what special physical deficiency his own aid was invoked at the present time.

“Ah, I was just coming to that,” said the earl.  “They tell me it’s a very dangerous practice to go to sleep after dinner.”

“It’s not very uncommon at any rate,” said the doctor.

“I suppose not; but Lady Julia is always at me about it.  And, to tell the truth, I think I sleep almost too sound when I get to my arm-chair in the drawing-room.  Sometimes my sister really can’t wake me;—­so, at least, she says.”

“And how’s your appetite at dinner?”

“Oh, I’m quite right there.  I never eat any luncheon, you know, and enjoy my dinner thoroughly.  Then I drink three or four glasses of port wine—­”

“And feel sleepy afterwards?”

“That’s just it,” said the earl.

It is not perhaps necessary that we should inquire what was the exact nature of the doctor’s advice; but it was, at any rate, given in such a way that the earl said he would be glad to see him again.

“And look here, Doctor Crofts, I’m all alone just at present.  Suppose you come over and dine with me to-morrow; then, if I should go to sleep, you know, you’ll be able to let me know whether Lady Julia doesn’t exaggerate.  Just between ourselves, I don’t quite believe all she says about my—­my snoring, you know.”