as able to assure Mrs. La Force that I
had had a similar case under my charge before--meaning, of course, poor
"Jimmy," the son of Lord Saltire. Miss Williams escorted them to the
door, and took occasion to whisper to them that it was wonderful how I
got through with it, and that I was within sight of my carriage.

It was a short notice, but we got everything ready by the hour. Carpet,
bed, suite, curtains--all came together, and were fixed in their places
by the united efforts of Miss Williams, Paul, and myself. Sharp at eight
a cab arrived, and Fred was conducted by me into his bedroom. The moment
I looked at him I could see that he was much worse than when I saw him
with Dr. Porter. The chronic brain trouble had taken a sudden acute
turn.

His eyes were wild, his cheeks flushed, his lips drawn slightly away
from his teeth. His temperature was 102 deg., and he muttered to himself
continually, and paid no attention to my questions. It was evident to me
at a glance that the responsibility which I had taken upon myself was to
be no light one.

However, we could but do our best. I undressed him and got him safely
to bed, while Miss Williams prepared some arrowroot for his supper. He
would eat nothing, however, but seemed more disposed to dose, so having
seen him settle down we left him. His room was the one next to mine,
and as the wall was thin, I could hear the least movement. Two or three
times he muttered and groaned, but finally he became quiet, and I was
able to drop to sleep.

At three in the morning, I was awakened by a dreadful crash. Bounding
out of bed I rushed into the other room. Poor Fred was standing in his
long gown, a pathetic little figure in the grey light of the dawning
day. He had pulled over his washing-stand (with what object only his
bemuddled mind could say), and the whole place was a morass of water
with islands of broken crockery. I picked him up and put him back into
his bed again--his body glowing through his night-dress, and his eyes
staring wildly about him. It was evidently impossible to leave him, and
so I spent the rest of the night nodding and shivering in the armchair.
No, it was certainly not a sinecure that I had undertaken.

In the morning I went round to Mrs. La Force and gave her a bulletin.
Her brother had recovered his serenity now that the patient had left.
He had the Victoria Cross it seems, and was one of the desperate little
garrison who held Lucknow in that hell-whirl o