omen of
wealth wove rugs and made pottery as if their bread and butter depended
upon it, she became a familiar figure. The patients loved to have her
there, and she went from one to the other, a charming little helper in
her white frock, with her air of girlish grace.

In those days her beauty assumed a new aspect. All the petulance was
gone from her expression--the restlessness from her manner.

"How lovely she is!" said nurses and patients and doctors, and they
spoke not of her physical beauty, but of her loveliness of mind and of
soul.

Whenever she was allowed to see Justin she came to him with hope in her
shining glance. And one day Anthony let her take the nurse's place, so
that for the first time they were alone.

It was then that Justin told her of the Procession of Pretty Ladies.
"Anthony says it was the morphine," he said, "but whatever it was, they
kept me company for days."

Betty laughed. "You'll soon have a real procession of pretty ladies.
Diana wants to come, and Sophie and Sara and Doris. But Anthony insists
that they must wait until you can sit up."

"When will that be?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Don't ask so many questions. As soon as it is good for you, you
impatient boy."

"I _am_ impatient. I want to be up and out. I want to fly again over the
harbor. Betty, all the lovely days are going, and I am lying here like a
log."

Her heart seemed to stand still. She knew that he would never fly again.
Anthony had told her that he might prepare her in part for the truth.
But Justin must not know.

She spoke hurriedly. "I should hate to have you fly again--I should
always be thinking of the time I saw you fall."

"It's the only thing I can do well, Betty."

"There are so many things that you can do--with me."

He smiled. "What could I do--with you?"

"You could build a little workroom in the top of our house--_our_ house,
dear boy; and you could sit there and invent wonderful things to make
other men safe who go up in the air, and I could watch you do it."

"But why should I be shut up, dearest? I'm not made for that sort of
thing. I'd rather be out--in the open."

There was a note of alarm in his voice. Bettina tried to laugh
naturally. "Because I'd rather have you with me, you venturesome
youth--then I should know you were safe."

"If anything could hold me down it would be you,--Betty."

She was silent for a moment, then she said, with hesitation, "Justin,
dear----"

"Yes?"