He was coming in now—now, as the servant was carrying out the luncheon-tray, entering by his usual mode—the back-door, and nearly knocking over the servant and tray in his haste, as his long legs strode to the dining-room. Lady Verner had left off reproaching Jan for using the servants' entrance, finding it waste of breath: Jan would have come down the chimney with the sweeps, had it saved him a minute's time. "Who's ill?" asked he.
Lady Verner answered the question by a sharp reprimand, touching Jan's tardiness.
"I can't be in two places at once," good-humouredly replied Jan. "I have been with one patient since four o'clock this morning, until five minutes ago. Who is it that's ill?"
Lucy explained her ailments, giving Jan her own view of them, that there was nothing the matter with her but a bit of a cold.
"Law!" contemptuously returned Jan. "If I didn't think somebody must be dying! Cheese said they'd been after me about six times!"
"If you don't like to attend Miss Tempest, you can let it alone," said Lady Verner. "I can send elsewhere."
"I'll attend anybody that I'm wanted to attend," said Jan. "Where d'ye feel the symptoms of the cold?" asked he of Lucy. "In the head or chest?"
"I am beginning to feel them a little here," replied Lucy, touching her chest.
"Only beginning to feel them, Miss Lucy?"