o look upon his face, my Lady," said the Corporal, "a
noble gentleman like that who never forgets the humblest of his
friends. I've always said that if I were not in your Ladyship's
service there is no one that I would serve so willingly as he. 'Tis no
wonder that his honour the Captain and he were friends, for there
wasn't two such gentlemen in the army."

So when the children rejoined the Corporal they heard nothing but the
praises of Colonel Fitzdenys, of his bravery, his gentleness, and his
excellence as an officer; all of which they passed on in the evening to
Lady Eleanor, who seemed quite content to hear it.

CHAPTER V

Notwithstanding Colonel George's hopes, Tommy Fry remained dumb during
the next day, and the next, and the next; and Lady Eleanor became
seriously alarmed. She sent for the apothecary from the little
neighbouring town, by Colonel George's advice, and he duly arrived in
his yellow gig; but he frankly confessed that he could do nothing. So
he wisely went away, as Mrs. Fry indignantly put it, without leaving so
much as a drench behind him, or taking so much as a drop of blood from
the boy, whereas every one knew (or at any rate the villagers did) that
the evil spirit, which no doubt possessed poor Tommy, might have left
him if a convenient outlet had been made with a lancet, or if the boy
had swallowed a few doses of the nastiest possible medicine such as
evil spirits find it impossible to live with.

The doctor having failed, a local preacher was called in, who with the
assistance of certain of his flock screamed and sang and raved over
Tommy for several hours, making such a noise as set Lady Eleanor's
peacocks screaming till they could scream no more. The boy was at
first rather terrified, but as his helpers became more vehement and
their antics more grotesque, he lost his fright and was intensely
amused. Finally the whole congregation rose and, headed by the
preacher, rushed out of the house with wild cries that the evil spirit
had left Tommy and that they would hunt it out of the village. None
the less the boy remained dumb; so that the evil spirit, if ever it had
thought of going, had certainly changed its mind very quickly.

Both doctor and preacher having failed, Mrs. Fry was at her wits' end;
but her neighbours pointed out that witchcraft could be met only by
witchcraft; and a remark made by her nearest neighbour, Mrs. Mugford,
soon brought her round to their mind. "'Tisn't