‘I wonder what the beggars did with the rest of that pig.’
There was the sound beside him as of an emotional snuffle, and John Jervase blew his nose resoundingly, so that Polson knew that his father was there before the old man bent his head above him. He was too weak to be surprised at anything, and had no earthly notion as to his own whereabouts.
‘Why, you’ve come round again, Polly,’ said his father. ‘You know me, don’t you?’
It was in Polson’s mind to return a hearty nod in the affirmative, but all he managed to do was to close his eyes and open them again.
‘Why, that’s hearty!’ said Jervase, smoothing the bedclothes above him with a tremulous hand. ‘That’s hearty, old chap. They said you wouldn’t pull through, but I knew better all along. Now, you was to take this, if you woke up, and you’ve got to keep very still and quiet. This is the very best beef tea as you can get for love or money in all Asia Minor. You let me tuck this napkin under your chin, Polly, and I’ll feed you with a golden tablespoon. You’d ‘ardly believe it, but I bought this in Vienna on my way out here, and it used to belong to the Empress Catherine of Rooshia, and I gave a twenty-pun’ note for it, and it’s got her monogram. You don’t mind me chattering, old chap, but I don’t want to excite you, and it’s the doctor’s orders that I mustn’t; but it’s pretty nigh on two years now since I set eyes on you, and when you get stronger and begin to walk about again, I shall have a heap of things to tell you.’
The wounded man lay face upwards, and sipped at the tepid liquid presented to his lips with a huge physical enjoyment. In his whole life he had never conceived of so complete a pleasure. Only the convalescent knows the joys of the table.
‘That’s the last spoonful, Polly,’ said John Jervase, wiping the pale lips with the napkin he had tucked beneath the invalid’s chin at the beginning of the meal. ‘You’d like more, wouldn’t you?’
Folson tried to nod again, and again achieved nothing more than a lowering and raising of the eyelids.
‘You haven’t got to have it, you know, old chap. You’ve got to be kept hungry. It’s been touch and go for weeks, but you’ll be all right now, if we take care of you. And I reckon we’ll do that amongst us.’
A weary voice rose from the neighbouring bed.