"His health is delicate, both mentally and bodily," replied Dr. West. "I should like to undertake it: the chief difficulty is leaving you here alone." "I dare say I can do it all," said Jan. "My legs get over the ground quick. I can take to your horse." "If you find you cannot do it, you might engage an assistant," suggested Dr. West. "So I might," said Jan. "I should see no difficulty at all in the matter if you were my partner. It would be the same as leaving myself, and the patients could not grumble. But it is not altogether the thing to leave only an assistant, as you are, Mr. Jan." "Make me your partner, if you like," said cool Jan. "_I_ don't mind. What'll it cost?" "Ah, Mr. Jan, it will cost more than you possess. At least, it ought." "I have got five hundred pounds," said Jan. "I wanted Lionel to have it, but he won't. Is that of any use?" Dr. West coughed. "Well, under the circumstances----But it is very little! I am sure you must know that it is. Perhaps, Mr. Jan, we can come to some arrangement by which I take the larger share for the present. Say that, for this year, you forward me----" "Why, how long do you mean to be away?" interrupted Jan. "I can't say. One year, two years, three years--it may be even more than that. I expect this will be a long and a lucrative engagement. Suppose, I say, that for the first year you transmit to me the one-half of the net profits, and, beyond that, hand over to Deborah a certain sum, as shall be agreed upon, towards housekeeping." "I don't mind how it is," said easy Jan. "They'll stop here, then?" "Of course they will. My dear Mr. Jan, everything, I hope, will go on just as it goes on now, save that I shall be absent. You and Cheese--whom I hope you'll keep in order--and the errand boy: it will all be just as it has been. As to the assistant, that will be a future consideration." "I'd rather be without one, if I can do it," cried Jan; "and Cheese will be coming on. Am I to live with 'em?" "With Deb and Amilly? Why not? Poor, unprotected old things, what would they do without you? And now, Mr. Jan, as that is settled so far, we will sit down, and go further into details. I know I can depend upon your not mentioning this abroad." "If you don't want me to mention it, you can. But where's the harm?" "It is always well to keep these little arrangements private," said the doctor. "Matiss will draw up the deed, and I will take you round and introduce you as my partner. But there need not be anything said beforehand. Neither need there be anything said at all about my going away, until I actually go. You will oblige me in this, Mr. Jan." "It's all the same to me," said accommodating Jan. "Whose will be this room, then?" "Yours, to do as you please with, of course, so long as I am away."