At the end of his fortnight my hero was much better, more so even than our friend the doctor had expected. `Now,' he said, `Mr Pontifex may go abroad, and the sooner the better. Let him stay a couple of months.'

This was the first Ernest had heard about his going abroad, and he talked about my not being able to spare him for so long. I soon made this all right.

`It is now the beginning of April,' said I, `go down to Marseilles at once, and take steamer to Nice. Then saunter down the Riviera to Genoa - from Genoa go to Florence, Rome and Naples, and come home by way of Venice and the Italian lakes.'

`And won't you come too?' said he eagerly.

I said I did not mind if I did, so we began to make our arrangements next morning, and completed them within a very few days.