“And now, General, that you have seen your nephew, I think we had better all adjourn to the parlor. Our patient wants all the air in this room for himself,” advised Mr. Tredegar. When they went back to the parlor, Dick turned to Francis Tredegar, and said: “You will let us have the use of this room for an hour or two, until we settle what we are to do next.” “Why, certainly. The room is your own. At least it is Alick’s, which is _now_ exactly the same thing, since he is lying helpless and you are his next of kin. Shall I retire? Do you wish to be alone?” “By no means. I only want to order breakfast up here. We have been up, walking or driving over the country in pursuit of the duelists, since six o’clock this morning, and it is now eleven, and we have had nothing to eat and are famished.” “Oh, by the way, I ought to have thought of that! allow me!” exclaimed Francis Tredegar, starting up and ringing the bell. “Breakfast for three, immediately. Serve it in this room, and bring the best you have that is ready,” he ordered, as soon as the waiter showed himself. The cloth was soon laid and the table spread. And our friends sat down to an excellent meal of rich coffee and fragrant tea; milk, cream and butter of such excellence as can be found nowhere else in the world; fish just out of the sea, beefsteak, chickens, French rolls and English muffins. “Dick, my dear fellow,” said the General, as they lingered over the delicious repast, “one of us must remain here to look after Alick, and the other must go back to London to take care of little Lenny and the young women.” “Yes, sir; and I will be the one to go or to stay, whichever you shall decide. And pray think of your own ease and health, my dear sir, before you do decide,” answered Hammond. “You are a very good fellow, Dick, a very good fellow. But I believe reason and judgment must settle the matter. I will remain here to look after my nephew. He will not be likely to quarrel with me when he sees me, as he might with you if he should find you by his side when he comes to himself. And, besides, I think this quiet, pretty seaside town will agree with me after the hurly-burly of London. And lastly and mostly—it is _you_ who ought to go back to town for your wife’s sake.” “All right, my dear sir; it shall be as you please. I confess I like this arrangement best; but if you had said, ‘Dick, go and I will stay,’ or ‘Dick, stay and I will go,’ I should have obeyed you without a moment’s hesitation, as a soldier obeys his commanding officer.” “I know you would, my boy, therefore it behooves me to consider your interests before I make a decision.” “And now let us see about the time of starting, I must return in the yacht, of course.” “Of course.” “Then it will depend upon the tide. I had better go down, and see the master.” “Yes, I think you had.” Dick Hammond took his hat and went down to the yacht.