"But our doctor here is not attending him, for I met him, and he was asking about it, and thought it rather strange that he had not been sent for." "Humph! You see, my brother is attending him." "Oh!" ejaculated Sir Cheltnam. "Well, it's no business of mine, but if anything happened to the old man it wouldn't look well, and people would talk about it a good deal. I say, isn't your brother rather disposed to ride the high horse?" Alison winced. "What do you mean?" he said rather roughly. "Oh, nothing much. A bit haughty with me, as if he did not approve of my pretensions. Coming the elder brother a bit, and I'm getting nervous as to what it is going to be now your father is down." "Oh, it is only Neil's way," said Alison sulkily. "And you don't seem much better. If you came over to my place, I should ask you in, and call a man to take your horse." "How can I ask you in at a time like this?" said Alison apologetically. "Easily enough, and take me into the drawing room. How is Isabel?" "Broken-hearted, nearly. This came about directly after the governor had given Tom Beck his _conge_." "Then he had done that?" "Yes; and the little girl's a bit sore about it." "Cheerful for me!" said Sir Cheltnam. "Bah! He'll be off to sea directly, and she'll soon forget him." "Then you think I had better not come in to-day? I'm off, then. Wish the old man better. I'll come on again to-morrow to see how he is. I say, tell Isabel I called and was in great trouble, and that sort of thing." "Oh, yes; all right," growled Alison. "Pleasant sort of a brother-in-law in prospective," said Sir Cheltnam to himself, as he cantered off. "Takes it as a matter of course that he is to have her," muttered Alison. "I'm not so sure." He bit one of his nails and watched the visitor till he was out of sight, and still stood at the foot of the steps frowning. "Even he sees it," he muttered. "I won't stand any more of his arbitrary ways. He is only a year older than I am, and yet he is to lord it over me as if I were a child. Why should he take the lead in everything? Is he to do so always? Not if I know it. If all this means that a new king reigns in Hightoft, it is not going to be brother Neil." Almost in perfect ignorance of what was going on downstairs, Neil remained patiently watching by his father's side. Aunt and sister had both begged him to go and lie down, insisting upon the fact that he would be quite helpless at night, and that it was his duty, so as to be ready to watch again, but he only smiled. "My dear Aunt," he said at last to that lady, who was greatly agitated in his behalf, "a doctor grows used to watching by his patient's bedside, and gets little snatches of sleep which refresh him. Believe me, I am not a bit tired." At that moment Isabel entered the room with a telegram. "For you, Neil, dear," she said. "It has been opened." "Yes, dear, Alison opened it. He said it must be for him."