"
Jack leaned his elbows on the high carved footboard and returned his
friend's look with one of equal seriousness.
"What makes all of us do lots of things?" he asked. "Why don't we all
learn?"
Burnett sighed.
"That's a fact; why don't we?" he said weakly. And then he shut his eyes
again and turned his back to his caller.
Jack went down to lunch. Clover and Mitchell were playing cards in the
library.
"Well, how is the hospital?" Clover asked, looking up while he shuffled
the pack.
"Never mind about Burnett," said Mitchell, "but do relieve my mind about
Aunt Mary. Is the one sheet still taking effect, or has she begun to rally
on a diet of two?"
"She's asleep," said the nephew.
"God bless her slumber," declared Clover piously. "I very much approve of
Aunt Mary asleep. When our dearly beloved aunt sleeps we know we've got
her and we don't have to yell. Shall I deal for three?"
"They are bringing up lunch," said the latest arrival,--"no time to begin a
hand. Better stack guns for the present."
"So say I," said Mitchell, "with me everything goes down when lunch comes
up. It's quite the reverse with Burnett, isn't it?" He laughed brutally at
his own wit.
"To think how enthusiastic Burr was," said Clover, evening the cards
preparatory to slipping them into their holder on the side of the table.
"He's always so enthusiastic and he's always so sick. In his place I
should feel that, if a buoyant nature is a virtue, I didn't get much
reward.
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