"

"I shouldn't dare leave it off when the Doctor's here."

"Does she have to take your orders or mine, McKenzie?"

"Mine," smiling; "that's one of the perquisites of my profession, to
have all the nurses under my thumb."

"Don't you try to please your patients?"

"Yes."

"Then tell her to leave off her cap."

He began to cough. The Doctor bent over him. Hilda helped to make the
old man comfortable.

When at last the General drifted into slumber, the two went down
together. The hall clock pointed to four.

They stood at the foot of the great stairway. From the landing the
painted lady smiled at them.

"Hilda, I am going to France."

She expressed no surprise. "When did you make up your mind?"

"In a sense it is not made up. I think I am waiting for you to confirm
my decision. They want me at the head of a hospital staff, to deal
with cases of shock. I should like to have you in charge of my nurses."

She meditated. "I am not sure that I care to go."

He showed his surprise. "I understood that if I went, you would go--"

"I don't think I said that."

"Perhaps not. But it didn't occur to me that you would back out." His
voice showed the irritation of a man balked in the thing he wants.

"I haven't backed out. I don't know what I want to do. I have to
think it over."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "What made you change your mind?"

"I like to be comfortable. And it isn't comfortable over there."

"For Heaven's sake, Hilda--don't make yourself out as selfish as that."

"I am not any more selfish than other people, but I am honest. I don't
go around deceiving myself with the idea that if I go I shall be doing
something wonderful. But you--that's why you are going--to be
wonderful in your own eyes, and Jean's eyes and in the eyes of the
world."

"I don't think it is that," he said soberly. "I hope not. I have
tried to see straight. I sometimes think it is you who are seeing
crooked, Hilda."

They faced each other squarely. Her chin was slightly lifted. He
caught the gleam of jewels at her throat.

"Hilda," he said, sharply, "where did you get those diamonds?"

Her hand flew up to them. She was not in the least disconcerted. "I
might as well tell you. They belonged to the General's wife. I didn't
have anything to do tonight, so I've been trying them on. There isn't
any harm in that, is there?"

"It's rather dangerous," slowly; "why didn't you take the collar o