tic, geology, physics,
veterinary knowledge, and so on, by pumping Pat Carrigan, the
engineers, and the men, than I supposed his head could hold," Lee
continued. "When he gets at his books, they won't be meaningless
things to him. Not much! He'll understand what prompted them and what
they open up. Well, now, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I think so." Then she said, "But I'm keeping you away from your
work. You go, and when I'm--"

"Wouldn't think of it. Nothing pressing." And Bryant began to move
about thoughtfully, now going to gaze out a window and now returning
to stand and fix his eyes upon her intently.

"That was a distressing experience for you," he went on, presently. "I
feel all upset at your being in there. Higginson was desperate, I
suppose, and grasped at you because you happened to be there and he
could not wait."

She put out a hand toward Lee.

"Don't scold him please," she said.

"Little good it would do now," he replied. "He'll be so cocky that
he'll dare me to fire him if I say a word, and grin in my face, for he
knows now that he's a good man and that I know it and will never let
him go."

"Higginson, is that his name?" Louise asked. "Well, he is a good man.
When he started the engineer using the chloroform and me arranging
things, he was swallowing hard. I saw he was terribly nervous and
keyed up. But he went right at the operation without faltering and
with a sort of doggedness. As if nothing should stop him. I myself was
doing rather mistily what he wanted. The chloroform, the smell of
antiseptics, the shiny instruments, the cutting, the nipping of
blood-vessels with forceps and tying them, the clipping with scissors,
the sewing--all went to my head. And I constantly had to tell myself,
'Don't be silly! You're not going to faint. He might fail if you did.
That tray, those forceps, those sponges, that thread, that's what he
wants now. Keep your head. Don't be a quitter.' And so on through
eternity--it seemed an eternity, anyway. I think the young engineer
with me thought so, too. He turned quite green once or twice. But then
I must have looked that way throughout. All at once it was over,
suddenly. Quite unexpectedly, too. I had come to believe that it would
go on and on forever. But, as I say, all at once it was done and the
men were wheeling the bandaged fellow into the other room. Then the
doctor called over his shoulder at me, 'Open the door, girl; let in
some air.' So I opened it a