ere at nine," Ralph said, "but the general will, I
hope, excuse my coming either in uniform, or full dress of any
kind. I have, of course, nothing with me."

"General Trochu will of course understand that," the officer said.
"Goodbye."

Ralph now went back to Percy's room. The doctor had just come. He
was accompanied by another medical man. Ralph stood by, in silent
attention, while the doctor felt Percy's pulse, and asked a few
questions of the nurse. They then gave some orders, and said that
fresh medicine should be sent in, in a quarter of an hour; and that
they would come in again, at ten o'clock, to see how he was going
on.

"What do you think of him, sir?" Ralph asked, as the doctor came
out.

"He has a sharp attack of brain fever," the doctor said, "but he is
young, with an excellent constitution. I trust we shall pull him
through. I cannot say anything for certain, at present--till the
fever takes a turn, one way or the other--but I have strong hopes."

Ralph ordered some dinner to be sent up to his room, for he began
to be keenly awake to the fact that he had eaten nothing, for more
than twenty-four hours. After he had taken the meal, he sat in
Percy's room, until it was time to go to General Trochu's; keeping
himself, however, in a position so as to be hidden by the
curtain--for the sight of him evidently excited the patient. Percy
was, as far as his brother could see, in just the same state as
before: sometimes talking to himself, in disconnected sentences;
sometimes raving wildly, and imagining himself repeating the scenes
through which he had passed, since he left home.

At nine o'clock, exactly, Ralph sent in his name to the governor;
and was at once shown in. The general had already left the table,
and was smoking in a small study. With him were Generals Ducrot and
Vinoy. General Trochu rose, and shook him cordially by the hand;
presented him to the other generals, and asked him to take a cigar,
and sit down.

"Generals Ducrot and Vinoy are surprised, I see, at your
appearance, Captain Barclay," General Trochu began.

"By the way," he interrupted himself, "you are in the Gazette, this
morning, as captain."

Ralph bowed, and expressed his thanks.

"No thanks are due at all, Captain Barclay," the old veteran said.
"You have well earned your promotion; and Gambetta--who speaks of
you, I may say, in the highest terms--tells me that he promised you
the step, if you got in. I need not say that, w