“I don’t want to spoil your illusions, my good Joe; but this undertaking of his is nothing more nor less than the act of a madman. He won’t go, though!” “He won’t go, eh? Then you haven’t seen his balloon at Mitchell’s factory in the Borough?” “I’ll take precious good care to keep away from it!” “Well, you’ll lose a fine sight, sir. What a splendid thing it is! What a pretty shape! What a nice car! How snug we’ll feel in it!” “Then you really think of going with your master?” “I?” answered Joe, with an accent of profound conviction. “Why, I’d go with him wherever he pleases! Who ever heard of such a thing? Leave him to go off alone, after we’ve been all over the world together! Who would help him, when he was tired? Who would give him a hand in climbing over the rocks? Who would attend him when he was sick? No, Mr. Kennedy, Joe will always stick to the doctor!” “You’re a fine fellow, Joe!” “But, then, you’re coming with us!” “Oh! certainly,” said Kennedy; “that is to say, I will go with you up to the last moment, to prevent Samuel even then from being guilty of such an act of folly! I will follow him as far as Zanzibar, so as to stop him there, if possible.” “You’ll stop nothing at all, Mr. Kennedy, with all respect to you, sir. My master is no hare-brained person; he takes a long time to think over what he means to do, and then, when he once gets started, the Evil One himself couldn’t make him give it up.” “Well, we’ll see about that.” “Don’t flatter yourself, sir—but then, the main thing is, to have you with us. For a hunter like you, sir, Africa’s a great country. So, either way, you won’t be sorry for the trip.” “No, that’s a fact, I shan’t be sorry for it, if I can get this crazy man to give up his scheme.” “By-the-way,” said Joe, “you know that the weighing comes off to-day.” “The weighing—what weighing?” “Why, my master, and you, and I, are all to be weighed to-day!” “What! like horse-jockeys?” “Yes, like jockeys. Only, never fear, you won’t be expected to make yourself lean, if you’re found to be heavy. You’ll go as you are.” “Well, I can tell you, I am not going to let myself be weighed,” said Kennedy, firmly. “But, sir, it seems that the doctor’s machine requires it.” “Well, his machine will have to do without it.” “Humph! and suppose that it couldn’t go up, then?” “Egad! that’s all I want!” “Come! come, Mr. Kennedy! My master will be sending for us directly.” “I shan’t go.” “Oh! now, you won’t vex the doctor in that way!” “Aye! that I will.” “Well!” said Joe with a laugh, “you say that because he’s not here; but when he says to your face, ‘Dick!’ (with all respect to you, sir,) ‘Dick, I want to know exactly how much you weigh,’ you’ll go, I warrant it.” “No, I will _not_ go!” At this moment the doctor entered his study, where this discussion had been taking place; and, as he came in, cast a glance at Kennedy, who did not feel altogether at his ease.