“Give me some coffee, Ned,” said the boy irritably. “Is there no new bread?”
“No, sir. Too soon. Dry toast, sir?”
“Bother the dry toast! you know I don’t like dry toast.”
“Yes, and it isn’t well-made, Jack. You go to bed.”
The lad gave the doctor an angry glance, spread some marmalade upon the dry toast, and began to eat and sip from his coffee as fast as the heat thereof would allow.
“Well, are you going to take my advice?” said the doctor, who was pretty busy over his own early breakfast.
Jack made no reply, but went on sipping his coffee, and feeling much better.
Sir John looked up, and raised his eyebrows a little.
“Doctor Instow spoke to you, my boy,” he said gently, and, to the speaker’s surprise, his son said coolly—
“Yes, father, I heard him.”