erwoman had upset a basket of dirty
linen on her way to the laundry. All the sport people had gone, the
streets were half empty, and most of the tourist shops were shut. Only
the very ill had reappeared; they crept aimlessly about in the sunshine
with wonder in their eyes that they were still alive.

Winn had put up at the nearest hotel and made the earliest possible
appointment with Dr. Gurnet. Dr. Gurnet was obviously pleased to see
him, but the pleasure faded rapidly from his face after a glance or two
at Winn. The twinkle remained in his eyes, but it had become perceptibly
grimmer.

"Perhaps you would be so kind as to take off your things," he suggested.
"After I have examined you we can talk more at our ease."

It seemed to Winn as if he had never been so knocked about before. Dr.
Gurnet pounced upon him and went over him inch by inch; he reminded Winn
of nothing so much as of an excited terrier hunting up and down a bank
for a rat-hole. Eventually Dr. Gurnet found his rat. He went back to his
chair, sat down heavily, and looked at Winn. For rather an ominous
moment he was silent; then he said politely:

"Of course I suppose you are aware, Major Staines, of what you have done
with your very excellent chances?"

Winn shook his head doubtfully. He hadn't, as a matter of fact, thought
much lately about these particular chances.

"Ah," said Dr. Gurnet, "then I regret to inform you that you have simply
walked through them--or, in your case, I should be inclined to imagine,
tobogganed--and you have come out the other side. You haven't got any
chances now."

Winn did not say anything for a moment or two; then he observed:

"I'm afraid I've rather wasted your time."

"Pray don't mention it," said Dr. Gurnet. "It is so small a thing
compared with what you have done with your own."

Winn laughed.

"You rather have me there," he admitted; "I suppose I have been rather
an ass."

"My dear fellow," said Dr. Gurnet, more kindly, "I'm really annoyed
about this, extremely annoyed. I had booked you to get well. I expected
it. What have you been doing with yourself? You've broken down that
right lung badly; the infection has spread to the left. It was not the
natural progress of the disease, which was in process of being checked;
it is owing to a very great and undue physical strain, and absolutely no
attempt to take precautions after it. Also you have, I should say,
complicated this by a great nervous shock."

"Nons