“I beg your pardon, sir,” said Sam seriously; “I don’t think that it would be right for master to think of going without me.”
“Well, Samuel, I must own,” said the doctor thoughtfully, “I should miss your services very much.”
“You couldn’t do it without me, sir,” said the man sternly. “I shouldn’t like you to attempt it.”
“Look here, Doctor Morris,” said the professor angrily, “do you allow your servant to dictate to you like this?”
“Well, you see,” said the doctor, “Samuel has always been such a good, attentive fellow, and taken so much interest in his work, Landon, that I feel rather puzzled as to whether this is dictation or no.”
“It aren’t, sir, really,” cried Sam appealingly. “Is it, Mr Frank?”
“Well, no, I don’t think it is,” said the young man. “I take it that Sam is only anxious to go on waiting upon his master.”
“That’s it, sir. Thankye, Mr Frank. That’s it, but it ain’t all. If you three gentlemen are going on your travels to find and bring back Mr Harry, it seemed to me that I’m just the sort o’ man as would be useful. I don’t want to make out as I’m a dabster at any one thing, gentlemen, but there ain’t many things I shouldn’t be ready to have a try at, from catching one’s dinner to cooking it, or from sewing on buttons to making a shoe.”
“Look here, Sam, you can shave, I know,” said Frank, “for you’ve shaved me several times.”
“Well, sir,” said the man, with a queer cock of the eye, “I’ve soaped and lathered your chin, and I’ve run a razor over your face, but I don’t think I found anything to scrape off.”