't much," said his visitor, with the confidence of youth.

"Mine is," retorted the invalid; "it's twice its proper size and still
growing. Base of the left lung is solidifying, or I'm much mistaken; the
heart, instead of waltzing as is suitable to my time of life, is doing a
galop, and everything else is as wrong as it can be."

"When are you coming back?" inquired the other.

"Back?" repeated Swann. "Back? You haven't been listening. I'm a
wreck. All through violating man's primeval instinct by messing about in
cold water. What is the news?"

Hardy pondered and shook his head. "Nugent is going to be married in
July," he said, at last.

"He'd better have had that trip on the whaler," commented Mr. Swann; "but
that is not news. Nathan Smith told it me this morning."

"Nathan Smith?" repeated the other, in surprise.

"I've done him a little service," said the invalid. "Got him out of a
mess with Garth and Co. He's been here two or three times, and I must
confess I find him a most alluring rascal."

"Birds of a feather--" began Hardy, superciliously.

"Don't flatter me," said Swann, putting his hand out of the bed-clothes
with a deprecatory gesture.

"I am not worthy to sit at his feet. He is the most amusing knave on the
coast. He is like a sunbeam in a sick room when you can once get him to
talk of his experiences. Have you seen young Nugent lately? Does he
seem cheerful?"

"Yes, but he is not," was the reply.

"Well, it's natural for the young to marry," said the other, gravely.
"Murchison will be the next to go, I expect."

"Possibly," returned Hardy, with affected calmness.

"Blaikie was saying something about it this morning," resumed Swann,
regarding him from half-closed lids, "but he was punching and tapping me
all about the ribs while he was talking, and I didn't catch all he said,
but I think it's all arranged. Murchison is there nearly every day, I
understand; I suppose you meet him there?"

Mr. Hardy, whistling softly, rose and walked round the room, uncorking
medicine bottles and sniffing at their contents. A smile of unaffected
pleasure lit up his features as he removed the stopper from one
particularly pungent mixture.

[Illustration: "Sniffing at their contents."]

"Two tablespoonfuls three times a day," he read, slowly. "When did you
have the last, Swann? Shall I ring for the nurse?"

The invalid shook his head impatiently. "You're an ungrateful dog," he
muttered, "