“Then take your turn after Calhoun comes home,” said the captain. “He would be a welcome guest as long as he might choose to stay, but if I know him as I think I do, he is not likely to stay as long as we do.”
“No, not he,” said Arthur; “if he stays two or three weeks it will be quite as much as I expect.”
“And we shall hope to see you after that,” said the captain. “Don’t forget that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,’ and we could ill afford to have our doctor so transformed.”
“Many thanks,” returned Arthur. “I sometimes feel that such a rest would do me a world of good, and perhaps prevent or delay such a catastrophe as you speak of,” he added with a smile; “but it is really a very difficult thing for a busy country doctor to get away from his work for even a brief holiday.”
“Yes, but I think he should take one occasionally nevertheless,” said the captain; “since by so doing he is likely to last the longer, and in the end do more for his fellow-creatures.”
“Very pleasant doctrine, captain,” laughed Arthur. “But I must be going now, as some of these same fellow-creatures are in need of my services at this present moment.”
“I wish you were going with us now, Art,” said Violet as she bade him good-by. “It would be really delightful to have you along as friend and relative as well as physician.”
“That is very good and kind in you,” he returned. “I won’t forget it, and perhaps I may look in on you before the summer is over.”
That day and the next were very busy ones at Woodburn and Ion, and the succeeding one saw them all on their way northward. Mary Keith was delighted with the yacht, which she had not seen until she boarded it in company with the Raymonds. It was a pleasure to Violet to take her cousin down into the cabin and show her all its beauties and conveniences, including the state-room she was to occupy on the voyage.