Why Marry? Part 21

JOHN

Ah, Doctor Hamilton! Delighted to see you on my little farm at last. Out here I'm just a plain, old-fas.h.i.+oned farmer.

[_ERNEST glances about at the magnificence and smiles imperceptibly. He makes no audible replies to the glad welcome, but bows urbanely, master of himself and the situation._

LUCY

Doctor Hamilton! So good of you to come.

THEODORE

How are you, Ernest? Glad to see you.

LUCY

I don't think you've met our uncle, Judge Grey.

JUDGE

[_humorously adopting their manner_]

Charmed! I've heard so much about you!--from my niece.

LUCY

[_to ERNEST'S rescue, like a tactful hostess_]

A cup of tea, Doctor Hamilton?

ERNEST

[_unperturbed by the reference to HELEN_]

Thanks.

JOHN

[_while LUCY makes tea. Trustee manner_]

I have often desired to express my admiration of your heroism in the war against yellow fever in er--ah--_Cuba_, when you let an innocent-looking mosquito bite you----

LUCY

[_nodding and poising sugar-tongs_]

And then took notes on your symptoms till you became delirious!

ERNEST

No sugar, thanks.

[_He looks from one to another with considerable interest._

JUDGE

No drums to make you famous, no war correspondents to make you brave--I mean the other way round.

ERNEST

[_to LUCY poising cream pitcher_]

No cream, please.

JOHN

Senator Root says this one triumph alone saves _twenty million dollars a year_ to the business interests of the United States! I call that true patriotism.

ERNEST

[_with a nod of a.s.sent to LUCY_]

Lemon.

THEODORE

[_with sincerity_]

General Wood says it saves more _human lives_ a year than were lost in the whole Spanish War! I call it service.

JUDGE

Colonel Goethals says the Panama Ca.n.a.l could not have been built if it hadn't been for you self-sacrificing scientists. Not only that, but you have abolished forever from the United States a scourge which for more than a century had through periodic outbreaks spread terror, devastation, and death.