Why Marry? - BestLightNovel.com
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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.
