“I knew you would say so,” rejoined the doctor.  “Thank you.  Then it seems to me that the right course will be to write to Mrs. Evelyn, inclosing a note to Dr. Lucas-—who it seems is Mrs. Brownlow’s chief reliance—-asking him to find someone to send out.  She, can send it on to him if she disapproves of our remaining together longer than is absolutely necessary, or if Leukerbad disagrees with you.  Meantime, I’ll go and see whether Reeves has found any men to carry the poor boys.”

Unfortunately it was too early in the season for the hotels to have marshalled their full establishment, and such careful and surefooted bearers as the sufferers needed could not be had in sufficient numbers, so that Dr. Medlicott was forced to decide on leaving the elder patient for a night at Schwarenbach.  The move might be matter of life or death to Armine; but Jock was better, the pain could be somewhat allayed by anodynes, the fever was abating, and he would rather gain than lose by another day of rest, provided he would only accept his fate patiently, and also if he could be properly attended to.  If Mr. Graham would stay with him—-

So breakfast was eaten, bills were paid, horses hired, and the whole cavalcade started from Kandersteg in time to secure the best part of a bright hot day for the transit.

They met Mr. Graham, who had been glad to escape as soon as Mrs. Brownlow had found other assistance, so that the doctor was disappointed in his hope of a guardian for Jock.  Lord Fordham offered to lend Reeves, but that functionary absolutely refused to separate himself from his charge, observing—-

“I am responsible for your lordship to your mamma, and it does not lie within my province to leave you on any account.”

Reeves always called Mrs. Evelyn “your mamma” when he wished to be particularly authoritative with his young gentlemen.  If they were especially troublesome he called her “your ma.”

“And after all,” said the doctor, “I don’t know what sort of preparations the young gentlemen would make if we let them go by themselves.  A bare room, perhaps-—with no bed-clothes, and nothing to eat till the table d’hote”

Reeves smiled.  He had found the doctor much less of a rival than he had expected, and he was a kind-hearted man, so long as his young lord was made the first object; so he declared his willingness to do anything that lay in his power for the assistance of the poor lady and her sons.  He would gladly sit up with them, if it were in the same house with his lordship.

No one came out to meet the party.  John was found with Armine, who had been taken back at night to his own room; Mrs. Brownlow, as usual, with Jock, who would endure no presence but hers, and looked exceedingly injured when, sending Cecil in to sit with him, the doctor called her out of the room.

It was a sore stroke on her to hear that her charges must be separated; and there was the harrowing question whether she should stay with one or go with the other.