said--"to ask him if he'll
come on the voyage?"

"It wouldn't be a bit of use," said the Doctor. "His wife's come for
him. No man stands any chance of going on a voyage when his wife hasn't
seen him in fifteen years. Come along. Let's get home to tea. We didn't
have any lunch, remember. And we've earned something to eat. We'll have
one of those mixed meals, lunch and tea combined--with watercress and
ham. Nice change. Come along."

Just as we were going to step out at a side door I heard the crowd
shouting,

"The Doctor! The Doctor! Where's the Doctor? The Hermit would have
hanged if it hadn't been for the Doctor. Speech! Speech!--The Doctor!"

And a man came running up to us and said,

"The people are calling for you, Sir."

"I'm very sorry," said the Doctor, "but I'm in a hurry."

"The crowd won't be denied, Sir," said the man. "They want you to make a
speech in the marketplace."

"Beg them to excuse me," said the Doctor--"with my compliments. I have
an appointment at my house--a very important one which I may not break.
Tell Luke to make a speech. Come along, Stubbins, this way."

"Oh Lord!" he muttered as we got out into the open air and found another
crowd waiting for him at the side door. "Let's go up that alleyway--to
the left. Quick!--Run!"

We took to our heels, darted through a couple of side streets and just
managed to get away from the crowd.

It was not till we had gained the Oxenthorpe Road that we dared to
slow down to a walk and take our breath. And even when we reached the
Doctor's gate and turned to look backwards towards the town, the faint
murmur of many voices still reached us on the evening wind.

"They're still clamoring for you," I said. "Listen!"

The murmur suddenly swelled up into a low distant roar; and although it
was a mile and half away you could distinctly hear the words,

"Three cheers for Luke the Hermit: Hooray!--Three cheers for his dog:
Hooray!--Three cheers for his wife: Hooray!--Three cheers for the
Doctor: Hooray! Hooray! HOO-R-A-Y!"

THE NINTH CHAPTER. THE PURPLE BIRD-OF-PARADISE

POLYNESIA was waiting for us in the front porch. She looked full of some
important news.

"Doctor," said she, "the Purple Bird-of-Paradise has arrived!"

"At last!" said the Doctor. "I had begun to fear some accident had
befallen her. And how is Miranda?"

From the excited way in which the Doctor fumbled his key into the lock I
guessed that we were not going to get our tea