Colonel Meredith then sampled the spring and shook his head darkly.
"This spring has a main attribute of drinking-water," he said; "it is wet. Otherwise——"
"What's the matter with my spring?" demanded his cousin.
"Silica, my dear fellow—silica. And you know very well that silica to a man of your inherited tendencies spells gout."
Jonstone nodded gravely.
"I'm afraid that settles it." And he turned to Maud Darling. "I can keep clear of gout," he explained, "only just as long as I keep my system free from silica."
"Do you usually manage to?" asked Maud, very much puzzled.
"So far," he said, "I have always managed to."
"Then you have never suffered from gout?"