able and
dejected, was deposited! The rattle and noise of that ward was such a
contrast to my quiet little room in France (rather humorous this) that I
woke with a jump whenever I closed my eyes.

Presently the matron made her rounds, and very luckily found there was a
vacant room, and I was taken into it forthwith. There was a notice
painted on the wall opposite to the effect that the bed was "given in
remembrance" of the late so-and-so of so-and-so--with date and year of
death, etc. I can see it now. If only it had been on the door outside
for the benefit of the visitors! It had the result of driving "the case"
almost to the verge of insanity. I could say the whole thing backwards
when I'd been in the room half an hour, not to mention the number of
letters and the different words one could make out of it! There was no
other picture in the room, as the walls were of some concrete stuff, so,
try as one would, it was impossible not to look at it. "Did he die in
this bed?" I asked interestedly of the sister, nodding in the direction
of the "In Memoriam."--"I'm sure I don't know," said she, eyeing me
suspiciously. "We have enough to do without bothering about things like
that," and she left the room. I began to feel terribly lonely; how I
missed all my friends and the cheerful, jolly orderlies in France! The
frowsy housemaid who brought up my meals was anything but inspiring. My
dear little "helpless" shirt was taken away and when I was given a good
stuff nightdress in its place, I felt my last link with France had gone!

The weather--it was July then--got terribly hot, and I lay and
sweltered. It was some relief to have all bandages removed from my right
leg.

There were mews somewhere in the vicinity, and I could smell the horses
and even hear them champing in their stalls! I loved that, and would lie
with my eyes shut, drinking it in, imagining I was back in the stables
in far away Cumberland, sitting on the old corn bin listening to Jimmy
Jardine's wonderful tales of how the horses "came back" to him in the
long ago days of his youth. When they cleaned out the stables I had my
window pulled right up! "Fair sick it makes me," called my neighbour
from the next room, but I was quite happy. Obviously everyone can't be
satisfied in this world!

The doctor was of the "bluff and hearty" species and, on entering the
first morning, had exclaimed, in a hail-fellow-well-met tone, "So you're
the young lady who's had her leg ch