desperate assault, in which General Ducrot led the way at
the head of the troops. During the various operations they had lost
about 1,000 killed and 5,000 wounded.

The four days that had elapsed since Mary Brander had said good-bye to
Cuthbert at the entrance to the ambulance, had effected a marked change
in her appearance. She had returned to her work on the Monday morning,
but no fresh cases had come in, for there had been a lull in the
skirmishes at the outposts. During the last few days the beds had been
cleared out as much as possible to make room for the expected influx,
and there was but little for her to do. After going round the tent of
which she had charge, the American surgeon put his hand upon her
shoulder.

"You are no better, Miss Brander," he said. "This is too much for you. I
did not expect to see you break down, for I have noticed that your
nerves were as steady as those of an old hospital nurse. Though you
naturally lost your color, when standing by with the sponge at some of
those operations, there was no flinching or hesitation; but I see that,
though you did not show it at the time, it has told upon you. I shall be
sorry to lose your services, especially at the present moment; but I
think you had better give it up for a time. We have plenty of
volunteers, you know."

"I will stay on, if you please, Dr. Swinburne. It is not the work, but
the suspense, that has upset me. One has been expecting this dreadful
battle to begin for the last three days, and to know that at any moment
now 200,000 men may fly at each other, and that thousands upon thousands
may be killed is almost too awful to think about. The silence seems so
oppressive, one knows that they are gathering and preparing, and that
while all seems so still, we may suddenly hear the roar of the cannon
all round. I think when it once begins I shall be myself again. It is
the waiting that is so oppressive."

"I can understand that," he said, kindly. "It is the same thing with the
troops themselves. It is the pause before a great battle that shakes the
nerves of the men. As soon as the work begins the feeling passes off and
the man who, a few minutes before, was as weak as a child, feels the
blood rushing hotly through his veins, and the burning desire to get at
his enemy overpowers all sense of danger. Well, as there is really
nothing for you to do to-day, for there are three of you in this tent
and only four beds occupied, you had better put