In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 8

"It's not that which bothers me. Look at Bob. I can see him in his part exactly. Nothing could be better; but I can't see you at all."

"Why? Set your imagination to work."

"I am, my dear boy; I am. It's working till my brain's beginning to throb; but I can't see you, as I say."

"But why not?"

"No shape; no form. You're too skinny. A young n.i.g.g.e.r ought to be plump, and shine like b.u.t.ter."

"Well, I'll oil myself," said Frank, laughing as much at himself as at the doctor seated _a la Turque_ so solemnly upon the hearthrug.

"But your hair, Frank, my boy. It's brown and streaky. It ought to curl up more tightly than Bob's beard."

"I'll put it in paper every night, and dye it at the same time as I do my skin."

"H'm! Well, perhaps we might work it that way. If we can't, we must shave your head too."

"Barkis is willin'," said the young man readily. "As to the sitting-- look here: won't this do?"

He seized the tongs from the fender, took a live coal from between the bars, dropped down sitting upon his heels halfway between the pair, but outside the hearthrug, and completed the Eastern picture in Wimpole Street by resting upon his left hand and making believe to be holding the live coal to the bowl of the Hakim's pipe.

"Bravo! Splendid!" cried the professor. "A _tableau vivant_, only wanting in colour and clothes to be perfect in all its details, and then--"

And then the group remained speechless in horror and disgust, for they suddenly became aware of the fact that Sam had silently entered with a letter upon a silver waiter, and had stopped short close to the door, to stand staring in astonishment at the living picture spread before his eyes. These seemed starting, while his brow was lined, the rest of his face puckered, and his mouth opened, at the same time his muscles relaxing so that the silver waiter dropped a little and the letter fell upon the soft carpet with a light pat which in the silence sounded loud.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE NEW RECRUIT.

For a few moments the picture was at its best, actors and spectator looking as rigid as if carved in wood or stone.

Then all was over, the doctor dropping the stick and scrambling up; Frank putting the tongs into the fender, Sam stooping to pick up the letter from the carpet, and the professor tearing his fez off his head, to dash it on the floor.

"Hang it!" he cried angrily; "destroyed the illusion! There, it's all over, Frank. I can't see it now."

"Beg pardon, sir. Letter, sir," said Sam stiffly, and he was as rigid as a drill sergeant, and his face like wood in its absence of all expression, as he stared hard over the waiter at his master, whose fingers trembled and cheeks coloured a little as he took the missive.

"Ahem!" said the doctor uneasily, and Sam, who was about to wheel about and leave the room, stood fast. "A--er--er--a little experiment, Samuel," he continued.

"Yes, sir," said the man quietly.

"Er--errum--Samuel," said the doctor; "the fact is, I--er--we--er--we do not wish this--that you have seen just now--talked about downstairs."

"Suttonly _not_! sir," said the man sharply, though the moment before he had been chuckling to himself about how he would make cook laugh about the games being carried on in the study.

"Thank you, Samuel," said the doctor, clearing his throat and gaining confidence as he went on. "The fact is, Samuel, a confidential servant ought to be trustworthy."

"Suttonly, sir," said Sam.

"And hear, see, and--"

"Say nothing, sir, of course. You may depend upon me, sir."

"Thank you, Samuel. Well, after what you heard last night you will not be surprised that we have decided to go out to Egypt at once in search of Mr Harry Frere."

"Not a bit, sir. Just what I should expect."

"Exactly, Samuel. To go up the country means, you see, the necessity of dressing ourselves like the people out there."

"Yes, sir; much better for the climate."

"And that is why we were, so to speak, going through a little practice."

"Suttonly, sir. Quite right. And about luggage, sir. What shall I get ready?"

"Ah! That requires a little consideration, Samuel. I'll go into that with you by and by."

"Very good, sir. But I should like to ask one question."

"Certainly, Samuel," said the doctor gravely; "what is it?"

"Only this, sir. When do we start?"

"When do we start?" said the doctor, staring. "My good man, I did not propose to take you."

"Not take me, sir?" cried the butler, staring. "Why, whatever do you think you could do without me?"

The doctor stared blankly at his man, and then turned to the professor.

"Ah! No hesitation, Morris," said the latter sharply. "I haven't quite come round yet regarding both of you, though matters have altered me a good deal during the last five minutes; but with regard to this last phase--the idea of taking your servant--that really is quite out of the question."

"I beg your pardon, sir," said Sam seriously; "I don't think that it would be right for master to think of going without me."

"Well, Samuel, I must own," said the doctor thoughtfully, "I should miss your services very much."

"You couldn't do it without me, sir," said the man sternly. "I shouldn't like you to attempt it."

"Look here, Doctor Morris," said the professor angrily, "do you allow your servant to dictate to you like this?"

"Well, you see," said the doctor, "Samuel has always been such a good, attentive fellow, and taken so much interest in his work, Landon, that I feel rather puzzled as to whether this is dictation or no."

"It aren't, sir, really," cried Sam appealingly. "Is it, Mr Frank?"

"Well, no, I don't think it is," said the young man. "I take it that Sam is only anxious to go on waiting upon his master."

"That's it, sir. Thankye, Mr Frank. That's it, but it ain't all. If you three gentlemen are going on your travels to find and bring back Mr Harry, it seemed to me that I'm just the sort o' man as would be useful.

I don't want to make out as I'm a dabster at any one thing, gentlemen, but there ain't many things I shouldn't be ready to have a try at, from catching one's dinner to cooking it, or from sewing on b.u.t.tons to making a shoe."