"Hah!" ejaculated Sir James, starting upright in his chair, as if awakened out of a dream, and turning towards the doctor as if to speak, but only to check himself again. "Oh, absurd!" he quite shouted. "No, no, no, no; impossible; impossible! It could not be. No, no, doctor. You set me thinking and asking myself questions about why not, and all that sort of rubbish. Why, sir, for the first time since our acquaintance began, you have been playing the tempter, and nearly won, what with your litters and palanquins and ponies. No, sir; it's impossible." "I say, Mark," said Dean, in a loud whisper, "didn't uncle once say that there was hardly such a word as impossible for a man or boy with a will?" "Silence, sir!" cried Sir James angrily. "I say, dad," said Mark, closing up to his father's chair and leaning upon his shoulder, "I said I wouldn't go unless you did." "Yes, sir," cried his father fiercely, "and if you dare to let me hear you utter such insubordinate words again I'll--" The boy leaned over to look him full in the eyes, and gazed at him firmly, and the others saw him move his lips in a slow, deliberate way as if he were saying something emphatically; and then he drew himself up and seemed to intensify his gaze. "Well, baby," cried Sir James, "what do you mean by those dumb motions? Speak out." Mark shook his head and tightened his lips, compressing them into a long line across the bottom of his face, the curve disappearing and a couple of dot-like dimples forming at either end. "What do you mean by that, sir?" cried Sir James. "Tell me what you mean?" The boy shook his head once more, and then the line disappeared, the curves came back, and he silently shaped the words as before. "Do you want to aggravate me, sir? Such foolery! Speak out, sir, at once." Mark drew back, walked sharply across the room and half opened the door, before turning to face his father again, the others gazing at him in wonder. "What's come to him, doctor?" cried Sir James. "Here, Mark, I command you, sir: speak out!" "If you don't come with us, father," said the boy, slowly and deliberately--"oh, Dean, I am sorry for you--there will be no expedition, for I won't go." There was a moment or two's silence, and then Sir James raged out, "Well, of all the daring--here, doctor, is this the result of your moral teaching of my boys? Now, sir, frankly, what am I to do in a case like this?" The doctor was silent for a moment or two. Then after drawing a deep breath he turned to Sir James. "You want my advice, sir, as frankly as I can give it, between man and man?" "Of course I do, sir," snapped out Sir James. "Well, sir, my advice is this. Dismiss us now." "What for--to conspire against me?" "No, sir," said the doctor, rising; "to give you time to calmly and dispassionately weigh this matter over--I even go so far as to say, to sleep on it." "No, I can decide now. You don't want me with you."