"I didn't mean to alarm you, old fellow; and now I look at you again, you have some muscle left, though none too much. But come, you must follow Tom's example—the idle scamp—and lay aside your books for a while. They'll wait for you; they won't run away from you, I'll warrant."
"But I shall have to run away from them soon," returned John, gravely.
"So much the better, for anything I can see to the contrary. A jolly time you will have of it when you get out to India; tiger-hunting, elephant-riding, and all that sort of thing. Do you know, I half envy you!"
"You forget fever and sunstroke and snakes, and all that sort of thing," retorted the guest. "And even the tigers you speak of—supposing such a thing as a tiger-hunt for me, which isn't likely—but even they have claws and teeth."
"I must give up India, then," said Grigson. "But seriously, friend, your shutting yourself up in this room all day—" they were in the library—"when you might be enjoying yourself out and about, is good neither for body nor mind."
"I must work, you know, Mr. Grigson," returned John.
"No doubt: so must we all, I suppose. But that doesn't mean that we are never to do anything else. 'All work and no play,' you know, 'makes Jack a—' I beg your pardon, though; I didn't mean that you are 'a dull boy,' though you are Jack. But come, you must shut up for once. We are going to drive over to the Mumbles. I have some business to do with Elliston; and Tom wants to introduce you to the ladies there—Jane and Kitty. By the way, if you could get hold of one of them, Tincroft, you might burn your books and stop in England. And why shouldn't you?"
"I shall never marry. I have no vocation that way. If I were independent, I might; but what's the use of talking? No, thank you, Grigson, I would rather be excused the Mumbles."
"You must do something of the sort, or where is the use of having a holiday? By the way, next week, Tuesday, we have our summer picnic; all the tenants that like to come, and their families; wives, daughters, sons, lovers, and all the rest of that sort of thing. You'll join us there, at any rate?"
"What do you mean? I mean, what do you do? Where do you go?" John Tincroft asked dreamily.