is the basin and
a pail. I think that is the total of our belongings."

"Well, you see, it shows how little one can be quite comfortable upon,"
Vincent said. "I wonder how long it will be before the doctor gives me
leave to move. It is all very well for me who am accustomed to
campaigning, but it is awfully rough for you."

"Don't you put your impatience down to my account, at any rate until you
begin to hear me grumble. It is just your own restlessness, when you
are pretending you are comfortable."

"I can assure you that I am not restless, and that I am in no hurry at
all to be off on my own account. I am perfectly contented with
everything. I never thought I was lazy before, but I feel as if I could
do with a great deal of this sort of thing. You will see that you will
become impatient for a move before I do."

"We shall see, sir. Anyhow, I am glad you have said that, because now,
whatever you may feel, you will keep your impatience to yourself."

Another four weeks passed by smoothly and pleasantly. Dan went into the
village once a week to do the shopping, and the doctor had reduced his
visits to the same number. He would have come oftener, for his visits to
the lonely cottage amused him; but he feared that his frequent passage
in his buggy might attract notice. So far, no one else had broken the
solitude of their lives. If the doctor's calls had been noticed, the
neighbors had not taken the trouble to see who had settled in Jenkins'
old place. His visits were very welcome, for he brought newspapers and
books, the former being also purchased by Dan whenever he went into the
village, and thus they learnt the course of events outside.

Since Antietam nothing had been done in Northern Virginia; but Burnside,
who had succeeded McClellan, was preparing another great army, which was
to march to Richmond and crush out the rebellion. Lee was standing on
the defensive. Along the whole line of the frontier, from New Orleans to
Tennessee, desultory fighting was going on, and in these conflicts the
Confederates had generally the worse of things, having there no generals
such as Lee, Jackson, and Longstreet, who had made the army of Virginia
almost invincible.

At the last of these visits the doctor told Vincent that he considered
he was nearly sufficiently restored in health to be able to start on
their journey.

"At one time I was almost afraid that your shoulder would never be quite
square again. However, as you can