“About one,” said Becky faintly; “but I didn’t just seem to care about it.”
“But I daresay you could fancy something now, couldn’t you?” said Dr Price, getting up. “Something very nice and hot. I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t you mind the dogs; they can’t get in.”
In a very short space of time he was out of the door and back again, followed, not by the dogs, but by a boy from the cook-shop, carrying a covered dish.
“Now,” he said, “you just set to work on this, and you’ll feel ever so much better.”
Becky’s eyes brightened at the smell of the savoury food. Hot roast mutton and potatoes seemed almost too good to be eaten all by herself; but she did not hesitate long, and began her meal with evident enjoyment. Dr Price sat near, whistling very softly to himself, and sometimes leaving off to smile a little under his light moustache, as Snip and Snap continued to hurl themselves with hoarse cries against the door.
“Well,” he said, as Becky lingered over the last piece on her plate, “how do you like my physic? Is it good?”
“It’s beautiful, sir,” answered Becky, “and it’s done me a deal of good; but might I give this bit to the kitten? She didn’t have much dinner more than me to-day.”
“To be sure,” said the doctor, and he watched with serious interest while Becky prepared a little meal for her pet, and put the plate on the floor. “So you’ve got a cat, have you,” he continued, bending down to examine the grey kitten. “Little Miss Chester offered me a cat the other day.”
“That’s Master Dennis Chester’s sister, ain’t it?” asked Becky with sudden interest. “Do you know him too?”
The doctor nodded. “I see them about often,” he said. “Nice little girl, and nice little boy.”