“But aren’t you going to speak to Luke?” I said—“to ask him if he’ll come on the voyage?”
“It wouldn’t be a bit of use,” said the Doctor. “His wife’s come for him. No man stands any chance of going on a voyage when his wife hasn’t seen him in fifteen years. Come along. Let’s get home to tea. We didn’t have any lunch, remember. And we’ve earned something to eat. We’ll have one of those mixed meals, lunch and tea combined—with watercress and ham. Nice change. Come along.”
Just as we were going to step out at a side door I heard the crowd shouting,
“The Doctor! The Doctor! Where’s the Doctor? The Hermit would have hanged if it hadn’t been for the Doctor. Speech! Speech!—The Doctor!”
And a man came running up to us and said,
“The people are calling for you, Sir.”
“I’m very sorry,” said the Doctor, “but I’m in a hurry.”
“The crowd won’t be denied, Sir,” said the man. “They want you to make a speech in the market-place.”
“Beg them to excuse me,” said the Doctor—“with my compliments. I have an appointment at my house—a very important one which I may not break. Tell Luke to make a speech. Come along, Stubbins, this way.”