"I have not seen what has come round lately." Decima left the room and brought back a bottle with some medicine in it.
"There's only one dose left," she remarked to Jan.
Jan took the cork out and smelt it; then he tasted it, apparently with great gusto, as anybody else might taste port wine; while Lucy watched him, drawing her lips away from her pretty teeth in distaste at the proceeding.
"Psha!" cried Jan.
"Is it not proper medicine for him ?" asked Decima.
"It's as innocent as water," said Jan.

"It'll do him neither good nor harm." And finally Jan poured the lot down his own throat.
Lucy shuddered.
"Oh, Jan, how could you take it ?" "It won't hurt me," said literal Jan.
"But it must be so nasty! I never could have believed any one would willingly drink medicine.

It is bad enough to do it when compelled by sickness." "Law!" returned Jan.

"If you call this nasty, Miss Lucy, you should taste some of our physic.

The smell would about knock you down." "I think nothing is worse than the smell of drugs," resumed Lucy.